My adolescent life is better than I had expected
by CaptSpeed
Summary: Being the heir of a troublesome family, Hachiman has to learn how to deal with responsibilities. Hachiman learns that he was never supposed to be a loner and he'll slowly break his protective shell with a little push from a violent teacher, two tennis players and a soft-hearted delinquent. He'll understand that having a social life is better than expected.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello to all Oregairu fans, I'm Captspeed and this chapter is a little something that I had stored in my cellphone for a couple of months.**

 **Ever since I watched the anime and read the LN/Manga, I've become an addict to Oregairu and since I watch a lot of Slice of/School life anime I had this crazy idea of mixing up some plot using some of my favorites series, like Drrr!, maybe a little of Nisekoi, etc.**

 **8man will be somewhat OOC, but his main characteristics remain the same. His eyes will be different - for reference, his eyes will be similar to Akashi Seijuro from KnB (sorry no dead fish-eyes!).**

 **I've decided that this story will focus more around the secondary characters like Totsuka, Saika or even Hayato and Tobe.**

 **WARNING: This chapter is merely an epilogue, highly based on the first episode/chapters.**

 **Any type of suggestions will be welcomed and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

 **My adolescent life is better than I had expected**

"Whoa, the transfer student is in a bad mood today."

I could totally hear those whispers.

"His eyes are not normal!"

They were right, my eyes had an animalistic look.

"Shh! Don't look, you might get in trouble with him."

Saying shit behind my back could also get you in trouble, you know?

"Yeah… I heard that he was expelled from his previous high school after starting a fight at the entrance ceremony."

"He's a delinquent, so he's totally capable of doing that..."

Not true at all.

"I heard his family are part of a gang or something. Maybe Yakuza?"

Now that, I couldn't really deny.

Once again I was the main topic of my classmates' gossip. _They really think that I'm a delinquent._ I thought to myself with a smirk on my face. Their stupidity was amusing to watch.

This all started when I was born. I wasn't being dramatic, everyone looked at me with fear or disgust since a young age and that was because the troublesome genes that I inherited from my grandfather.

The main source of my agony was my eyes, which looked really fierce and not even my messy bangs could help me avoid the negative attention. My eyesight was nearly perfect, but it was their wild appearance that ruined everything.

It was true that I had an intimidating appearance, but that was only due to my 'cursed' eyes. My face was probably above average and if it wasn't for my rotten facial expression, I could say that I was a handsome young man.

The worst part of this internal drama was that my _sanpaku_ grey eyes were always reflecting a piercing glare that made me look defiant and really scary - this even happened when I was acting normal. My eyes could definitely make other people run away if I made eye contact with them and that was ridiculous.

My grades weren't bad and I mostly attended to classes that didn't force me to cooperate with other students. As far as I could remember, I was never involved in an argument, let alone a fistfight. I was an average adolescent that was part of a weird family.

However, everyone started to think that I was a scary delinquent when I transferred to this high school, three weeks after the entrance ceremony. Being the transfer student in a somewhat prestigious school made me become the hot topic among the masses and thanks to my appearance and lack of background information, I had become a delinquent in a couples of hours.

The misunderstandings would had been solved almost immediately if I wanted to, but I did nothing. I felt disgusted by everyone and I couldn't trust this bunch of conceited people.

One year later, my current situation at Sõbu High School wasn't a joking matter and I knew that I shouldn't be laughing about this, but somehow, when the rumors and the glares started, I decided to embrace the role of a delinquent in order to keep others away.

I got up from my seat and I headed towards the classroom door. I sighed in annoyance as I remembered that I still had to visit the staff room to speak with the school's guidance counselor, which mentioned to visit her after the end of the classes.

As I opened the door to leave, I bumped shoulders with some random guy who was happily chatting with his friends in front of the said door. He immediately adopted an apologetic stance, "I-I-I'm so sorry man. I didn't mean to do it, I swear!"

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. _What a stupid guy..._ No one would get mad for getting bumped on the shoulder. That was true if I was a normal person, but I forgot that I was a delinquent. I gave him my best glare and continued making my way to meet my nosy teacher.

This awkward situation started because my father decided to move away from my grandparents' house, as soon as my grandfather got hospitalized. My parents decided to buy an apartment in Chiba, so that they could live closer to their workplaces.

It was evident for me that this was all an excuse, a farce just like my delinquent act. The relationships in my family were very awkward and tense. Even if we had a shady background, I sensed that there was something bigger that no one would dare to speak about.

My parents became somewhat distant over the past year, according to my sister Komachi, but for me that was how they always were. That being said, I rarely saw my parents during weekdays and I was pretty much living alone with my sister.

After a couple of minutes of walking through the school's halls, I reached the staff room and taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I walked in through the door.

* * *

"Youth is a lie. It is nothing but evil." My Japanese teacher started reading my essay aloud. "...Go blow yourselves." I could see her expression changing quickly as she read the last part. My writing skills were far from perfect, but I was sure that Shizuka Hiratsuka was mad for another reason. Supporting her head with her hand and sighing deeply, she continued, "Say Hikigaya, what was the assignment?"

I could only smirk at her question, I knew where this was going, "It was an essay with the topic 'Looking back on High School life'..." I started out confidently, but speaking with an older woman was making me nervous, especially after the amount of times that she had scolded me over the past weeks.

"Exactly, so why did you write a threat letter? Are you an idiot?" _An idiot?_ No, I was an honest and smart person, despite having this intimidating appearance.

Now playing closer attention to the female 'mistress' I knew that her beauty was a hiding a much darker side of her personality. This woman was scary, but I enjoyed seeing this side of her. Just before losing myself to my pervert fantasies with an older woman, I was struck in the head by the piece of paper that I wrote, "Pay attention!"

 _Hey, you're attacking me with my hard work!_ This was one of the reasons that led me to become such a cynical person. People didn't appreciate your effort and this teacher didn't care about freedom of speech.

"Your eyes, they're like the eyes of a criminal. What is this tasteless essay?" The female teacher insulted me while gazing directly at me. Her scowl was intimidating indeed, but her insults were nothing new to me. I heard that and worst many times before, her words were not very effective against me.

"Uh-In my opinion, I did reflect on my High School life. My essay is pretty close to the reality of adolescence."

"You really need to stop being so cynical towards life Hikigaya. Oh and stop acting like a delinquent it doesn't suit you. Do you have any idea of how many complaints I've received about you, little brat?" She said with an expression full of pity and disgust while pointing at me and my uniform.

It was exactly as she said, I was trying to look scary. Choosing to play the role of the bad guy, I always took advantage of my scary eyes to keep people away. Just by looking at me, everyone considered me a delinquent – I was truly intimidating. I usually wore an expressionless look on my face and until today that was enough to avoid interaction with stupid humans.

"Little brat...? Well from the perspective of someone your age-" Without any sign of movement, my comeback was cut short. The female teacher unleashed her fist, grazing the side of my cheek.

I understood the message conveyed by her action 'Next time you play smart, that will hit!'. Unfortunately for her, now I knew the boundaries that I needed to respect and next time I'd avoid the famous 'Hiratsuka Punch'.

"I'm sorry for being rude, I'll write the essay again." I said in a serious manner, trying to show some type of remorse.

She was impressive, a beautiful woman with such a scary personality. That was probably one of the reasons she was still single. Instantly I started an inner debate with myself, which 'dere' type would suit her better. In my opinion she was probably a hybrid, a mix between a tsundere and a yandere. Scary, violent, but at the same time a lovely woman who would waste her precious time dealing with me.

While distracted in my thoughts, the female teacher removed a cigarette from her breast pocket and lit it like it was the most normal thing to do inside a school. "I'm not angry with you, you're a problematic student after all. You know, this past weekend I've had the pleasure to meet your mother and little sister in the mall. I've learned some interesting stuff about you."

I unconsciously gulped and I was feeling my hands getting a bit sweaty. This was bad news for me. _What did the two of them told this woman?_ If any of my secrets were revealed, she would definitely be a person that would blackmail me. Maybe she would ask me to become her pet, a slave to her needs or even her husband. Now that I thought about it, this wouldn't be so bad, but I would prefer to reverse the Master and Servant Contract. **[1]**

"Could you please stop grinning like that? You look like a sexual offender." She scolded me. A woman's sixth sense was a rather powerful skill. "I know a little about your family dramas. You and your sister moved to Chiba and changed schools to 'reset' your lives."

She was right, we moved to avoid further damage to our adolescent lives. My family was troublesome and unlike the two idols of our school, our influence was tainted with bad rumors.

Before I could dwell on my thoughts, the female teacher continued, "People always looked at you like you were some freak, your appearance alone made people think you were nothing but a delinquent, a rude and disgusting guy. You never tried to change your reputation... Even though you wanted a fresh start, you're still the same lone boy, _traumatized by his past_."

I chuckled to myself unable to find a good answer, she caught the Legendary Hachiman using the weakest Poké Ball. **[2]** I felt exposed, almost humiliated. _But who is she to judge me?_

Just by looking at her I could see that she was once a problematic student too, maybe a delinquent High School dropout. She was a shounen manga junkie, aggressive and scary, which in my opinion, dressed in an improperly way. A woman with great assets that always dressed like a female bartender was certainly indecent, especially considering that most of the male students were perverts with raging hormones. That certainly wasn't my case! Shizuka Heiwajima, yeah that name sounded cool. However, she was lacking the blonde hair and the blue sunglasses. **[3]**

"You're not in any clubs, right?" She finally broke the silence and I nodded. "...Do you have any friends?" She asked, almost assuming that she was right once again. _Is this woman a psychologist too?_

"Well, borrowing the quotes of a certain antagonist, I love humanity and I live by the virtue of impartiality, for that reason, I prefer to watch everyone from afar, keeping away from an intimate relationship." **[4]**

"Deciphering your lame reference, you don't have any friends. From what your family said and just by looking at your eyes and attitude I knew that straight away!" She said almost happily. _If you knew, then don't bother asking me._

"...I assume you don't have a girlfriend or 'something', I mean, I bet everyone gets scared off by your appearance." _Is she asking me if I'm gay or 'something'?_ Woman, stop offending me like that. I needed a pause to restock my Burn Heal. **[5]**

Once again I answered exactly what she wanted to hear, "Hmm, I see. _We need to do something about that…_ " She gazed at me intensely, her eyes looking a bit watery. Her gaze turned soft and now she was definitely showing some type of pity. _Please stop that!_

"All right, rewrite your report." Finally she stopped the interrogatory. This time I wouldn't be dumb enough to express my soul, not this time! I would write an inoffensive composition, nothing more. "However, your heartless words injured my feelings. You should never talk to a woman about her age! Because of this, you are required to the Service Club."

Crap, my sharp tongue was once again my doom. _Wrongdoings must be punished, huh?_ Teacher please stop sounding like a shounen protagonist.

"The Service Club? What exactly do you do in a club with that name?" This was suspicious and she was having way too much fun.

The woman stood up and stubbed out her cigarette, "Follow me!" I hesitated to follow her command, I wasn't happy with this situation, "Oi, hurry up! As your _counselor_ and as request by your family, I'll make you become a decent man." _Hiratsuka choose your words carefully, please! My fragile heart won't resist your sweet words and I'll make you my wife._

* * *

I ended up following her, while thinking why someone would use the word 'service' to name a school club. My head was like a desert, I couldn't find any good answer.

I was hoping that this club wouldn't involve any kind of psychical activity. I could always escape this situation by saying that I had a chronic disease in my lower back. _Is it called her...herpes?_ I had no clue, I was really bad at scientific stuff.

"We're here." She announced when we stopped in a front of a normal looking classroom. The teacher opened the sliding door and taking a peek inside I could see chairs and tables piled up in stacks along the edge.

The room looked ordinary, but there was something that stood out. A girl reading a book, enlightened by the sunset. My mind and body froze, I was fascinated by her dedication. It looked like she would still be sitting there, reading, even if a zombie horde attacked our school. **[6]**

Realizing that she had visitors, she halted her reading and looked up with a cold look, "Sensei, I told you to knock before you enter..." She was elegant. She looked entirely different from the other girls from this school.

"Even if I knock, you won't respond."

"You always enter before I have time to answer." She said in an irritated tone and then shifted her gaze towards me, "And who is that person staring off into space?" I knew this girl. Her name was Yukino Yukinoshita - Grade 11, Class J. She was the beauty who sits at the top of our grade, everyone knew who she was. I was also pretty sure that I had also heard her family name being a hot topic during some of my grandfather's business meetings.

"He's joining this club." Shizuka announced, giving me the opportunity to speak, "I'm Hachiman Hikigaya - Grade 11, Class F. Hey, I haven't accepted joining this club."

"This is your punishment from what happened earlier. I won't accept any type of complaint." She declared with great resolution. "You can tell by looking, that his heart is corrupt. His eyes and the way he wears his uniform doesn't help his reputation. As a result, he's a pitiable, lonely worm that uses his delinquent status to avoid human interaction. I request that you fix his rebellious personality in this club."

"I respectfully decline. I know about his reputation and I sense that his scary eyes are filled with ulterior motives, I feel like my life's in danger." Yukinoshita said while adjusting her outfit, keeping her cold glare on me.

With a chest like that, I was definitely not interested in her. _You don't need to worry about me starting at you_. _Wait, I did look, right? Yeah, I totally looked at her._

"Don't worry, this guy's adept at self-preservation and he's pretty good at risk-return calculations. He wouldn't do anything punishable by law. Putting it simply he's a petty thug."

Unfortunately for me, my mother had talked with this woman in person and now she was motivated to change my ways. I could only protest against her insults, "Tch! That's not a compliment, woman... Just say that I'm able to make rational decisions."

"Petty thug? I see..." Somehow, Yukinoshita seemed convinced with her explanation, ignoring my presence.

"Well, it's a request from a teacher, I can't refuse. I accept it." Yukinoshita said in a forced tone. She was definitely not happy about this, but the feeling was mutual.

The teacher was smiling in triumph. "Well, I'm counting on you." She turned around and left the classroom. I was ignored completely during this whole scene. So this was what she meant by 'not taking any type of protest', damned woman.

 _What type of show is this? I'm the main character, I deserve respect!_ I was left here in this room with this rude girl. This was the start of a romantic route, I could feel it. _It's a trap!_ Thank you for the warning, Admiral Ackbar. **[7]**

A sudden romantic development like this made me recall some bittersweet memories from my Junior High School. _"C-Can't we jus-t-t be friends?"_ The girl said in a shaky voice. She was scared of me. In the end we remained two strangers that shared an awkward memory. My first and last crush… Or so I thought.

Then, I had another flashback moment. It was another painful memory, but for some reason I couldn't remember it properly. I was standing on the gate of my Junior High School and I was accompanied by some unknown girl. She had a very bright hair color, maybe it was dyed hair. This memory was all fuzzy. Her name probably started with an N or M. Maybe I called her with a nickname, I couldn't recall. _"Mia… Is that what I used to call you? I'm sorry, but I can't be your friend. Don't talk with me anymore."_

That was what I said to the girl, making her run away in tears. _Well done, Hachiman!_ Friendship was a lie and that bitch probably had some hidden motive to approach me. The little bit of pride and sanity that I still had would vanish if I was hurt one more time. I never needed friends and since that time, I had been living a fulfilling life.

Tired of standing in the middle of the room like a fool, I decided to sit down, removing a chair from the stack. Unfortunately for me, I made some loud noise, which made the beauty stare at me like I was a piece of trash.

"How about you stop fooling around and just sit quietly in a corner?" I sighed in defeat, she was definitely trying to pick a fight with me. I said nothing and sat some meters away from her, gazing in her direction, trying to intimidate her.

Yukinoshita didn't show me an ounce of concern. I had to admit she had guts. Any other female would leave this room running, crying for help. This girl was like some type of noble, but as an elite she was probably cut from any social circles.

We were rather similar in this aspect, too bad I wasn't breathtaking like her. She was untouchable and unattainable. And now, I was left with one important quest: what to do in this situation?

"Is something wrong?" Miss Beautiful asked, finally lifting her gaze from the damned book.

"I simply don't know what's going on. What is this club anyways? I feel like I'm losing my precious time here." I answered honestly.

Looking in my direction with a cold sigh, she said "Try guessing." She was testing me.

"Considering this setting and the lack of club members I would say a Literary Club. Oh, you're also reading a book. If this club still exists, it's because it has no costs." My logic was flawless, or not.

"Really...? That was a good guess." Yukinoshita said with great interest. "Incorrect, try again." She said with a scornful laugh.

I was getting impatient, she was making fun of me. "If it's not a Literary Club or an Occult Research Club, then it is something related to helping people in need. If it isn't that, then I have no clue." I said, finally trying to end this stupid game.

Yukinoshita eyes widened in surprise, "Well, you're partially correct. Hikigaya, how many years has it been since you've talked to a girl?"

If my memory was correct, the last time I spoke with a girl was during that incident with the blonde girl. "This question doesn't make sense. I'm talking to you now, right?" I said trying to avoid the subject.

"Those who are blessed give those who are less fortunate out of the goodness of their hearts." She said as she got up, walking in my direction. "People call this volunteer work. Providing help to those in need. That is what this club does." She was now looking down at me with her arms folded, "Welcome to the Service Club, I'll fix your problems. You should thank me."

"You bitch..." I almost exploded. Despite being a person who deserved to be treated as nobility, she wasn't a better person than me. "I might not look like it, but I rated third in all of the exams, excluding the scientific subjects. Despite having scary eyes, I'm good looking and I won't accept being offended by a weird girl like you!"

"I'll admit you're smart enough, but I heard some fatal blows in your argument. You're a weird person, truly disgusting." She said with a cold smile. Using a more descriptive word, a sadistic smile. Too bad, Hachiman was also a sadist.

"According to my observations, it seems that you're a loner because of your rotten personality and cynical temperament. You're pitiable and I feel like you need some help."

We continued to trade a couple of verbal blows before she added, "That should be enough practice for you. If you can talk with a girl like me, you should be able to hold a conversation with most people. Now you can hold this memory in your heart and keep going even when you're alone." Her pose and expression was infuriating. Her pleasant smile and kind words conveyed another kind of message. She hated me just as much as I hated her.

"Believe me, I would rather forget that I met you, _miss washing board_." I said in an indifferent tone. She was annoying.

Before we could continue this fight of wits, Shizuka entered the classroom, once again without knocking. "Knock!" The annoying girl said with a sigh. This was becoming a running gag between the pair.

"Oh, please don't mind me and continue your conversation. It's nice that you two are getting along with each other." Read the mood woman, we were clearly not on friendly terms. "Yukinoshita, it looks like you're having some trouble straightening out his rotten personality" Always making me sound like a delinquent... Wait, I did act like one.

"That's because Hikigaya doesn't want to admit that he has a problem." My club mate said coldly.

"Well, the same goes for you. For such an intelligent girl you're also quite rude and your attitude is just as rotten as mine. I never asked for this, Sensei… If you're doing this because of my family request, please stop it." My previous comment about Yukinoshita made her flinch in surprise, but she recovered quickly using her sadistic smile.

Shizuka tilted her head in confusion and decided to speak, "It seems that Yukinoshita didn't explain it to you... This club's goal is to reshape its members, relieving you of any worries or concerns. Any student that needs correcting will be sent here. This is not just about you Hikigaya, stop being so self-centered."

"There's no reason to change myself or the way I live. As long as I don't create any trouble, I see no reason for any _correcting_."

Just before I could continue my attempt at sounding impressive, Yukinoshita said, "Stop trying to sound smart. You're just running away from the problem."

"What's the problem with running away? You keep telling me to change and to stop avoid my flaws, but the fact that you're still a member of this club makes you a troublesome student like me. Why don't we fix that himedere personality of yours first?" Yukinoshita was irritated, she probably understood my insult, if not she could always use the Yukipedia. _Ha-ha! I'm the funniest guy in school, for sure_.

"Please, don't stray from the issue at hand. We're talking about sensei's request, my problems are not relevant... If we were to ignore your situation then no worries would get resolved. No one would be saved." Her expression was filled with anger by the end of her phrase.

Talking about salvation wasn't something a mere High School student would do. I couldn't understand why she was being so persistent about this. Maybe she was one of those idealists who wanted to create a perfect world... _I can picture that_.

"Calm down, you two. This development is interesting and just like in shounen manga, when two collide we have a contest to decide who's right." Hiratsuka intervened with a calm tone, finally putting a pause to the unpleasant mood that the two of us created. I felt the urge to cover my face with my palm. This woman and her love for action packed manga.

"How about this! I'll guide troubled lambs to this club and both of you will try to help them with your own methods in order to prove which one is correct."

"Tch, such a pain!"

"Don't want to." Yukinoshita said as she started to walk away. It was also the first time we agreed on something.

"Then, the winner can order the loser to do anything they wish? How's that?" Hiratsuka tried to convince her with some type of prize.

For me, that was extremely perverted and I couldn't hold my devilish grin. Having Yukinoshita as my personal maid for a week would be priceless. Suddenly, Yukinoshita moved back a couple of steps, embracing her body in a defensive position. This girl had spider senses. Being able to recognize danger without me saying a word was impressive. **[8]**

Yukinoshita tried to refuse, in order to save her chastity, but the female teacher provoked her and she took the bait. Apparently the Ice Queen was a sore loser and wouldn't back down from this fight. "Well, it's decided then. I'll be the one to choose the winner, just do your best." With that, the teacher left the classroom and Yukinoshita followed her soon after, without saying a simply goodbye. Rude girl.

As I collected my bag to leave, I felt my iPhone vibrating in my pocket. It was a text from my mom, which was something rare. This was probably a serious matter. 'I'm visiting your grandfather in the hospital. Go to a private place and pick up his call, please Hachi.' Reading this was making me guilty, I decided to go to the rooftop and wait for the call.

* * *

"Hello? Still alive, old man?" I said as I picked up the call from my grandfather.

 _"Ha-ha! Rude brat, you're lucky that I'm trapped to this bed. How you doing, kid?"_

"I'm way better now that I moved away from our home. I've been leaving alone with Komachi and it has been really peaceful for me..." Even if it was very sad that my parents were always so distant all the time.

 _"Yeah... I'm sorry you guys had to go through so much. I know that you were the one who suffered the most... You also had bad luck when you inherited this old man's cursed eyes ha-ha."_

"You don't need to worry about me, I've grown used to everything. To be honest, these eyes help me keep fake people away." I said with a sarcastic laugh, trying to convince myself that everything was going well for me. My grandfather didn't answer back so I continued, "Hearing those nasty insults to our family is what really hurts me the most. That's what happens when your grandfather is the leader of the infamous Gaya-kai group."

 _"I can't imagine what you guys are going through... Believe me that what people say is not always the truth. I won't deny that our family has connections to the Yakuza, but ever since I became the leader we've become a legitimate organization."_ I almost felt the urge to laugh at this. I had no clue if what he was saying was true or not, but for Komachi's sake I would keep us away from this dangerous world.

 _"You know we aren't like the gangsters you read in your books… We own a large amount of legal companies, including clinics, media and private investigation agencies. When you have so many people working for you, there will always be a couple of rotten apples. It was my job to keep everyone in check, but now that I'm weakened like this, people will try to take advantage of that."_

I sighed in disinterest, "Well, I understand your point. In a couple of days I can imagine our company going back to their criminal origins, especially if the next heir is a wimp or ill-intentioned guy. I still couldn't care less about this, just don't involve our family in this mess. Just sell everything to different buyers and make sure that the money won't end up in bad hands. Tch, this is why I'm going to become a house-husband, there's no way I'm becoming a corporate slave like you and my parents!"

 _"Stop saying nonsense, Hachiman! You're almost an adult and you need to learn how to assume responsibilities. Despite our family being rich enough, I know that you aren't the type of brat that would depend on someone else for the rest of his life. You're too smart and prideful to become a house-husband! Our group is very influential in Chiba's economy and we'll always need someone like you to lead people in a righteous path. You're a born leader Hachiman, you influence the people around you and that's why I'm going to name you as my heir, you'll be the next leader of the Hikigaya organization."_

I almost choked when I heard his speech and wait a second... Did he just say that I was his chosen heir? I knew that his relationship with my father was horrible, but I never imagined that this conversation would go like this. I was not ready for this type of thing... "No way old man... I won't accept it! I won't become the head of a Yakuza group, I just want to live a normal life!"

As I said this, I heard my grandfather coughing really hard and he started breathing heavily. I could hear my mother telling him to calm down. I was a jerk, the worst kind of guy. _"You have no other choice Hachiman, you'll have to live with it. I'm counting on you... We'll talk again later."_

Saying that, he ended up the call. I felt the urge to smash this iPhone against the fence, but my cheapskate personality stopped me on time. I sighed in despair and sat on the ground.

I felt a chill go down my spine and I could swear I was being watched by someone. Turning around towards the water tank, I saw no one. I could swear I saw a shadow, but that was probably me becoming conscious that my life could be in danger. In fact, I was ready to get shot in this lonely rooftop, dying without anyone noticing it.

My grandfather was crazy. Nominating me as the next heir. I was just a high schooler, for god's sake! _Well, whatever!_ I was heading home for now and let tomorrow's problems to tomorrow's me. **[9]**

* * *

[1] – Reference to the Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha series. The contract hold between Basara and his harem.

[2] / [5] – Pokémon reference.

[3] – Durarara! reference. Seriously, just Google "Shizuo Heiwajima genderbend". For me, that's a blonde version of Shizuka.

[4] – Another reference to Durarara! This is one of the quotes that the main antagonist Izaya Orihara uses during the show. Is 'love' for humanity is definitely twisted, since he's a chaotic char.

[6] – Reference to High School of the Dead.

[7] – Reference to Star Wars.

[8] – Reference to Spider-Man and his spider senses, really useful for Yukino.

[9] – A quote said by Saitama, the protagonist of One Punch-Man.


	2. Unpredictable events

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

Oh, how I loved sleeping. There was nothing better than lying in bed or on the couch doing absolutely nothing, especially if I wanted to forget the awful day that I had yesterday.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan, wake up!" My sister said energetically. So cute... If she was a clingy sister that called me Onii-sama, I probably wouldn't be able to control myself unlike a certain stoic protagonist. **[1]**

How I adored my cute human-alarm. My sister was the most adorable being that I knew and every day she gained points on my consideration for putting up with such a lazy brother. "Hurry, we have a visitor!" She shouted as she left my room in a hurry. _A visitor? What a pain..._ Hopefully our visitor wasn't part of our family.

Noticing that I was late, I dressed up my uniform and went downstairs to eat my breakfast. I was surprised when I recognized a certain white lab coat hanging by the door.

"Y-Yo!" A certain grown woman growled due to the large amount of food that she was ingesting. I was perplexed, this was definitely not my sexy teacher. This was one of those chibi Hamtaro devouring all of my food. **[2]**

"What are you doing here, woman? And can you please leave some food for me?!" Panic On! **[3]** _What happened to all the food made by my dear sister?_ That wasn't the main issue here, "Wh-what are yo-u doing here?" Damn, now I was acting like her, but I needed some nutrients.

"Don't mind me... Today I'll take you two to school." That still didn't make sense in my head, "And don't be rude calling me 'woman', Hikigaya! You make me feel old... You were so cute when you were little- I m-mean at least from what I could see from the p-pictures on the walls." I almost choked on my precious MAX coffee. She was acting strange. _Why is she doing this?_ Hopefully this wasn't some type of charity, because I really didn't want her help for anything – I was living a happy life.

"Hmm, this all happened because you keep acting like a dimwit at school, dumb-nii. Apparently mother asked Shizuka to pay more attention to you." Well, that was some helpful information, my dear sister. Thank you for always being there.

"Oh, I also thought that this was a good way to keep track of your growth as a _human_." My teacher added, "Rebellious as you are, I thought that you would try to skip school and club activities, but this way I can keep an eye on you, y-yeah, something like that!"

My lie detector was beeping loudly, for some reason I couldn't believe her words, "You're not doing this just to keep an eye on me, right? Tch, I bet my mother is paying you to do this..."

Her face went pale and her eyes widened in surprise. _Bingo!_ "He-he! You're such a distrustful person, Hikigaya. Yes, you're absolutely right! Do you think my teacher salary would pay my Aston Martin? Your family was kind enough to help me with my financial problems."

"I knew it…" I said with a defeated sigh. "Look, I really don't want to join that club. I feel like I can't get along with that girl and this won't help me fix my personality issues." I complained, trying my luck. I really didn't want to be forced to do something that would torture me for the rest of my high school days.

"I'm sorry, but I really need to do something with you. The other teachers and students are starting to get affected by your dumb act and I think that it's time for you to stop it. At this point you'll end up ruining your future and it's just too sad to see you destroy yourself like that when you're such a good student… At this point I'm afraid to admit that you're close to get punished for your acts."

"W-Well, it's true that I've been probably abusing the advantages of being considered a delinquent, but I still haven't done any real harm to others… And I'm sure that forcing me to coexist with that bitc-I mean, Yukinoshita won't make me change my mind, even if both of us have similar problems. If I get forced to do something that I don't want, I might end up worsening my situation, you know?" I vaguely tried to convince my teacher to stop meddling with this issue, but it was true that I was actually worried that I was about to risk being expelled for being an idiot.

This time, Hiratsuka was the one sighing deeply, "Okay, I understand your point, but for now just help the club as a temporary member of the club, helping with some requests just to show people that you are not a bad person. I'll try to come up with another solution to help you and hopefully fix your problems."

"…I don't really need your help, Hiratsuka. Whatever, I think we're already late." There was no point in arguing with Hiratsuka or my mother. They were both very stubborn and aggressive when angered.

"Oh-oh~ Have some trust in your personal chauffeur!" With that amazingly idiotic phrase, my sister and I followed this crazy teacher.

* * *

Today was probably the worst morning of all time. My good mood was ruined by my crazy counselor. _Why would mom hire Shizuka Hamilton as our chauffeur?_ **[4]** She was seriously crazy and I could imagine myself ending up as a victim of a road accident.

To worsen my situation, the Home Economics teacher told Hiratsuka that I had been skipping those annoying cooking classes. _Yes, I'll keep doing it!_ As a future house-husband I was already a good cook, so there was no reason for me to go to those classes and act friendly with my assigned group.

Hiratsuka once again offended my dream job and called me a gigolo. I could only laugh at that insult of hers. At least I would be the very best gigolo, like no one ever was. **[5]**

Soon after, I was being dragged to that ridiculous club, by my insistent teacher. Hiratsuka would never let go of me until I showed her some type of progress and unfortunately she didn't come up with a better idea.

Anyways, at this rate I would be forced to another troublesome situation. Even if I wanted to somehow fake an improvement in my personality during my stay in this club, the Demon Superwoman would immediately ruin my plan, just for pleasure.

This Yukinoshita bitch was unbearable. Sometimes I felt like the two of us could understand each other if we tried, but her superiority complex angered me to a whole new level. The two of us would spend most of our time reading our own books, but as soon as we closed them we would start bickering about the most stupid things. It was vicious cycle that was already part of our coexistence.

During one of our insult sessions, I asked her if she had any friends. Her answer was pitiful, _"Can you please define what a friend is in your dictionary?"_ She was exactly like me in this aspect, she had no friends.

Yukinoshita was constantly bullied for her excellence. Girls hated the fact that she was perfect and boys only looked at her with second intentions. I almost offered her my helping hand, but her rudeness kept me from making a stupid mistake.

Before we could continue the awkward conversation, someone knocked on the door, "E-Excuse me!" came a voice filled with excitement and nervousness.

The girl entered the room shyly, avoiding eye contact with the two of us. Hair dyed light brown, short skirt and a blouse that let no room for imagination. This girl's existence defied the school code.

"The counselor told me to come here..." When her eyes finally met our direction, she let out a small shriek, "Ehh!? Hi-kigaya and Yukinoshita _-sama_? Why are you both here?" She totally just freaked out when she looked in our direction. _Do I look like a monster?_ No, I bet that her reaction was due to the dark aura that Yukinoshita was showing.

As expected, this girl was somewhat scared when she faced me and I was thankful for that. However, I couldn't understand why she was treating Yukinoshita with so much respect… With a look of annoyance, the club president decided to speak, "We're members of this club, Yui Yuigahama. Well, I'm the president and this _thing_ , is probably just a temporary member."

"Y-You remembered my name?" Her face lit up when her name was mentioned.

"Unfortunately, yes. Haven't I told you that I don't need any type of compensation for what happened in that accident? You don't need to act so formal and please forget that you know me."

"B-But like, your sister insisted that I should take responsibility for my mistake... She said that I should become your friend, b-because you really needed it... Your father said that I would be more suited as an assistant in the future, so-"

"Shut up! We won't have this conversation! Not now and especially not in front of this worm. Mother would never allow you or anyone else to come near me _._ " After Yukinoshita outburst the room went quiet, I swear I could hear the sound of crickets happily singing on the sun. _Ah, what an awkward moment._

I had to stop this somehow, "Hmm~ The Yukinoshita family is pretty powerful... Do you own everyone at this school too? We got the queen and her bitch assistant, how interesting." This reminded me a lot of two girls from a cooking manga that I had started reading recently. **[6]**

"Not at all, but if we wanted maybe it would be possible. I've always wanted to have a slave and name _it_ Hachiman Hikigaya." She mused out loud with that typical smile of hers. There she was, the cold girl that I met. Now the mood was back to its normal state.

"What? Who are you calling a bitch?!" Yuigahama screamed in response. "I'm still a virg-… Forget what I just said! You're seriously gross, can't you just go fucking die!?"

I laughed a bit, their reactions were priceless and this was definitely the start of a new friendship. The two heroines would unite their strength to defeat the villain. This problem was easy to fix, now they just needed some alone time.

"Still, this club is kinda fun..." Yuigahama said as she looked us with twinkling eyes. "...Hiratsuka said that this club fulfils students' desires, right?"

Instead of getting to the point, Yukinoshita had to explain the club's real purpose in a way that would impress the dumb brunette. I was expecting her to clap in the end of her queen's speech, but that didn't happen.

"I was kinda thinking about making some cookies…" I was sure that at this point, she wanted to cook for Yukinoshita's sake. I could sense in her eyes that she was full of guilt and I had already confirmed that something really big happened between these two.

* * *

Yuigahama's statement marked the start of our stupid contest to help others and we were now in the home economics room, in order to help the ditsy girl that wanted to learn how to bake some cookies. After some minutes, we found out that teaching Yuigahama how to cook was an impossible mission. She was a failure as a woman, everything she touched would become Poison Cooking. **[7]**

"Tch, this is pointless. She is the worst cook I've ever met." I said to Yukinoshita in a bored tone. "She'll ending up dying of food poisoning if she keeps munching on charcoal."

"Unfortunately, it's our job to guide her. Well then, let's think of a way to improve these results." In my opinion, she should never make food again, but I knew that my idea would be rejected.

"The only solution is hard work. If you don't try you can't blame it on your lack of talent, you need to change your way of thinking. You need to stop trying to conform to those around you, don't you feel ashamed to blame others for your stupidity or clumsiness?" _Wow!_ What a powerful speech, she was definitely not human.

Poor Yuigahama was overwhelmed with emotions and stood in silence for some time, "I-Incredible! Your attitude, you're so cool! Those words were harsh, but they were said from the bottom of your heart. So, please, teach me one more time Yukinoshita-sama!" _Oh god!_ She became a worshiper of the devil right in front of my eyes.

This girl was dumb, usually people would be mad after what Yukinoshita said, even if it was the truth. The Ice Queen was dumbfounded, especially after Yuigahama's sincere apology. Somehow, these two girls made a perfect pair. Yukinoshita tried to show her how to bake cookies properly, but her 'assistant' was a lost cause. I had to intervene.

I told Yuigahama to taste the cookies that I had made, but in reality they were the ones that she had baked earlier. She ended up admitting that the cookies were edible, "You're a slut, yet you don't understand how to use people's feelings to your advantage! Every human is somewhat simple when it comes to stuff like gifts. People get the wrong idea if you just talk to them and almost anyone would be happy to receive some homemade cookies. This was a loss of time, I'm out!"

Just before stepping out, I noticed that Yuigahama's expression was full of hope and I was sure that she understood what I meant with my harsh advice. I left the classroom, because I felt like there wasn't much that I could do to help her and Yukinoshita would be more suited for this type of girly request. That was my solution and with that my job was done. _You're such a badass Hachiman, I'm proud of you!_

* * *

I finally understood the purpose of this club and somehow Yukinoshita managed to gain an additional member thanks to our efforts. Yuigahama now saw 'Yukinon-sama' as her friend, even if she still treated with a huge amount of respect and the cold girl seemed to enjoy her company too. They even started eating lunch together. Those two created a bond that I would never be able to understand and now I felt even more like an outsider.

Being in the club was boring and spending time in my classroom was infuriating. I didn't know when it happened, but Yuigahama stopped acting intimidated around me and she started to talk with me casually – this was probably her way of showing that she was grateful for what I did for her, but this still didn't feel right for me.

My classmates were all annoying and seeing Hayato's clique act like they owned the school was disgusting. _If they call my delinquent act stupid, what would a normal person think of his little group of friends?_

They always transmitted that feeling of being from an upper-class, but they were different from Yukinoshita. They had no grace, they simply forced people to accept them and the weak Yuigahama was, somehow, part of this group too.

Today, the 'close' group of friends were a little bit agitated. Apparently, the Queen Bee also known as Yumiko-Something, was really mad at Yuigahama, "So, you're having lunch with 'Yukinon'? It feels like you started to dislike being with us now. Can you bring me a drink, Yui?"

This blonde was the pure definition of a bully and she was now testing the brunette's loyalty towards her. This blonde girl clearly didn't know how to play nice with others, seeing that she put her reputation and pride in front of everything, even her 'friends'. She surely was scary though and I could even picture her as a Mafia boss or something like that.

"B-But I… have to go and I won't be until the next period begins..." Yuigahama said hesitantly. The brunette was definitely intimidated… _Is this what they call true friendship?_ Being a delinquent was the best.

"Huh? I don't get what you are trying to say, you're making no sense!" The blonde was about to explode and Yuigahama just kept apologizing. _Is Yuigahama looking at me?_ I was pretty sure that her eyes were begging for my help.

"That's not what I want to hear. I don't understand what's going on with you. You haven't been spending much time with me lately, Yui… There's something that you want to say, right?" Her expression was filled with rage, she was demanding an answer. The classroom was silent, Yuigahama was trembling in fear and I was expecting her to start crying soon.

Well, if no one was saying anything, there was no other choice, "Can you shut up for a second? You're being annoying and you totally ruined my lunch, Miaru!" I said in a loud voice, which clearly demanded respect – I was also glaring at her with an annoyed expression. I could see people's shocked reactions. Some walked out of the room, expecting some type of trouble.

 _Wait, what did I just called her?_ No clue, I always managed to mess up people's names.

"W-What the hell is wrong with you, huh? Just shut up Hikio, you freaking idiot! You remember after all..." _Is she crying_? No, she was the great Fire Queen, those were probably tears of anger. I couldn't understand what just happened and what she said didn't make any sense… Well, this was the time for me to make a 'Great Escape'. **[8]**

As people started to blame me for what was happening, Yukinoshita came to help her 'assistant' and Hayato immediately tried to calm down the epic fight of Ice against Fire. It was just a normal day in this high school.

After all that confusion, everything went back to normal and Yukinoshita and Yuigahama thanked me for what I had done. Apparently, due to my outburst, Yuigahama finally had the courage to Yumiko about her true feelings.

Hayato's clique went back to its normal state and I was pretty sure that Yumiko was still avoiding me whenever I was inside the classroom – maybe I was a little too harsh with her.

* * *

Soon after this all mess, I received a message. Damn, I was becoming famous without even trying. My stupid hopes were crushed as soon as I saw that the sender was my mom.

 _"Next week you have a meeting with the eldest daughter of a really important family. I know that you still haven't accept the fact that you are your grandpa's heir, but this is something really serious for the organization and you need to start building up a good image for yourself. You can't avoid this, I'm very sorry son. Grandpa received a call from this young woman, because she wanted to know if everything was alright and when he mentioned that you were to become the next boss, she insisted in meeting you in person. You're a lucky man, Hachi :) Your grandfather said that she was gorgeous woman and that maybe we could arrange a marriage or something ;) I think her name was Haruka or maybe Haruno Yukino, I'm bad with names, sorry! We'll talk tonight."_

I had totally forgot the conversation that I had with my grandfather a couple of days ago, but being honest, I simply tried to forget it. I still couldn't accept that once again I was being forced to another situation that didn't make me feel comfortable and I was starting to think that at this rate I would end up being a marionette, being pushed around by others. _I have my pride, you know!?_

If I wasn't mistaken, I was pretty sure that my mother had said that the last name was something to do with 'Yukino'. Well, coincidence or not, I was pretty sure that Chiba could only have an important family with that type of name and I was betting that this eldest daughter was Yukino's sister.

* * *

A few days had passed since I discovered that I was once again being forced to do something against my will. I was starting to think that I was really an idiot and a weakling that was living a sad life.

I was disappointed at everything, but mainly at myself... At this moment I was a total loser. I wasted my fresh start at high school because of my stupid pride. My reputation was awful and as Hiratsuka said, at this point I was about to get expelled for my stupid behavior. The constant rumors weren't helping, but thankfully my grades helped me to balance this situation.

Just by hearing the rumors that I was a transfer student, people assumed that I was a delinquent that had caused trouble in the first week, getting expelled from my previous high school. In conclusion, I was feared by everyone. At this point, I didn't need to intimidate people anymore… They automatically thought I was a thug. _Good job, Hachiman!_

Anyways, the rumors about me never made any sense. No one would be expelled during their first week of classes and most of the time real delinquents weren't even smart enough to reach high school. Not to mention that Sõbu High School only accepted people with high scores. _Why the hell would they accept me, if I was truly a bad student?_

I had been skipping club lately, because there wasn't anything to do there and I didn't feel like I should interrupt the close relationship that those two girls were forging. Hiratsuka was still checking on my 'development' regularly, but nothing had changed to be honest.

Unfortunately for me, Hiratsuka decided to inform that I was finally needed for something at this stupid club. Yes, I was still trying to help with these requests, in order to try to calm down the angry teachers that are starting to get irritated by my bad conduct. I also still wanted to win against Yukinoshita in this stupid competition that Hiratsuka proposed. _I'm too prideful for my own good._

This time, I actually knew the person who was asking for the club's help. This was the guy who wouldn't stop calling me 'partner', Yoshiteru Zaimokuza the famous delusional weirdo that was my pair in gym classes for the past year or so. Apparently, he was a huge otaku, with a dream of becoming a writer.

For me, his problem was evident from the start. Zaimokuza simply wanted someone to read his work, but he ended up requesting for a review of what he had wrote.

Yuigahama didn't even try to read his work, she simply said that the words were too difficult for her to understand and I seriously believed that she was right – this wasn't for her. Yukinoshita insulted his work harshly, but she actually had made valid points.

Since I was very moody for spending a whole night reading his work, I asked him, "So, just who did you rip-off to write that?" _Very cynical and harsh, right?_

I didn't lie to him, his idea for the story wasn't very original and it was definitely nothing special. Despite all of this, he seemed to accept our feedback and he seemed happy just because he had someone reading his work. As a Light Novel fan, I promised that I would keep reading his works and help him in what I could.

* * *

Right now, I was in my favorite 'lunch spot'. It was somewhere located behind the school store and it was a position from which I could see right out into the tennis courts.

Speaking of tennis, I had been playing it a lot lately in the gym class. In fact, I had mastered my form just from practicing against the wall. I wouldn't be surprised if people would start calling me Hachiman Djokovic of the solo-tennis. **[9]**

I was trying to eat peacefully, while feeling the sea breeze against my skin, but a certain brunette decided to annoy me, "Ah, there you are! You never come to the clubroom Hikki, I went around asking everyone where you were, but everyone was afraid to speak... It was like soooo weird!"

I know that I was in a neutral status with this girl, but why was she acting so close to me? _Hikki?_ This girl was acting like we were besties or something, what a ridiculous nickname, truly disgusting. I apologized for the awkward moment she had to go through and she said, "Y-You see... C-Can you t-tell me your cell phone number? I wanted a way to warn you when someone asks our club for help and to be honest, I don't think that you are a bad person Hikki... _You have helped me sometimes._ "

She was really starting to get annoying and why was she whispering and fidgeting with that shy expression – she was starting to look really cute. I decided to put an end to this awkward moment, allowing her to add me in her contact list.

Suddenly, Yuigahama turned her attention to a female tennis player that had finished her practice, "Hey! Sai-chaan~~! Had practice?" Why would she ask the most obvious questions?

Apparently, the tennis team was weak and they had been practicing during the lunch break, "What are Yuigahama and Hikigaya doing here? You sure look like _good_ friends." Despite looking cute and innocent, the last part of her phrase hold some type of emotion that I couldn't understand… _Is she jealous?_

"Anyways, as expected of Hikigaya! You're very good at tennis." I just got complimented by a girl... _Who is she anyways?_ I felt like she had some really high expectations for me.

"Ahh, thank you, I guess? By the way, who are you?" I was serious. I had no clue who she was and why she was acting so casually towards me.

"Wwhhhat?! You're in the same class! Why don't you know?! I can't believe you!" Yuigahama shouted annoyingly, making me sigh.

"A-Ahaha. So I guess you really don't remember me. I'm Totsuka Saika. We've been in the same class since the first year. I know that I don't have much of a presence and I look very frail… _Some even say that I'm a male._ "

Despite her soft whispering, I heard exactly what Totsuka said and reacted instantly, "What? You're a male? No way… I don't believe it." _Ups!_ I said it out loud and Yuigahama instantly punched my shoulder.

Unfortunately, Totsuka saw that I wasn't convinced and turned bright red. Her head lowered, and she stared at me shyly. I was the best human evaluator and there was no way this cute being was a male. My 'trap' sensors were also calm so I was pretty that I was right.

Totsuka's hand up to her shirt, captivating me with that small movement, "…I can show you proof, if you want. _Maybe you'll remember me..._ "

"Do it!" **[10]** _Damn it!_ Thanks to some stupid viral videos on the internet, I ended up saying something way out of line. Okay, maybe I shouldn't blame others for being so skeptical and perverted. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that... You just look too cute to be a male."

"Hikki, you're so gross! Like, seriously gross and I take back what I said about you. Even if he's male, you're being way too disrespectful!"

"Tch, go back to the club, I'm having a conversation here!" Throwing a bunch of insults at me and showing her tongue playfully, Yuigahama went back to her Yukinon.

Crap, I totally forgot about 'Sai-chan' because Yuigahama was being annoying. When I turned my attention to Saika, I saw her green jacket on the floor, "Wait! Don't look yet... Close your eyes, Hikigaya." She shrieked in a girly way. _Oh my god!_ How did we reach this point?

"A-Ah, stop it! You don't need to prove anything." This was just like in the ecchi series.

"If it's you, I don't mind... You can look now." She said, hesitantly. She was so cute, but I needed to stop this.

However, the fact that her gender was so ambiguous was killing me. I wanted to look, I wanted to learn the truth about this androgynous character. Wanting to satisfy my curiosity about Totsuka's gender, I decided to be a jerk... _God, I can't believe it!_

* * *

[1] – Reference to Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei and the incestuous romance between the Shiba siblings.

[2] – Reference to the Hamtaro series. Just imagine Shizuka looking like that, god how cute!

[3] – Fate/stay night reference to the famous "Trace On!" phrase of Shirou.

[4] – Lewis Hamilton, he is a F1 driver and this year's champion (Alonso 4life!).

[5] – Reference to the 1st OP of Pokémon (ENG version).

[6] – Reference to the Shokugeki no Souma series. Somehow Erina and Hisako look a lot like a higher class version of Yukino and Yui.

[7] – Katekyo Hitman Reborn! reference, Bianchi and her gross skill.

[8] – Reference to one of the ED of Attack on Titan.

[9] – Novak Djokovic, a famous tennis player and in my opinion, one of the best.

[10] – Reference to the viral video of Shia Labeouf. Never seen it? JUST DO IT!


	3. Hachiman's two princes

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

God, I couldn't believe it, I was a jerk, definitely the worst main character in existence. Trying not to look at the shirtless person standing in front of me, I picked up Totsuka's green jacket and covered her frail body, "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want to be rude and push you this far... It's alright if you want to hit me or report me to the cops."

She was trembling while trying to hold her tears, "I-I'm not mad, but… Can you please keep my secret?"

"Let's just forget that this happened. I promise to keep your secret, okay? Please, just cover your body!" Her visible black sports bra and her crying expression was making me go crazy. I slowly had become a sadistic guy who enjoyed watching cute girls cry in despair.

"You're just like my mother told me, Hikigaya..." She hugged me tight, wrapping her slim arms around my waist. _Her mom?_ I was confused and I was sure that this was the first time that I had acknowledged her existence, so there was no way that we were acquaintances.

I desperately tried to break out of the girl's embrace while blushing furiously. At first, I thought that she would be angry for what I did to her, but that wasn't the case. Even if she was somewhat embarrassed, Totsuka looked happy.

She turned around and started dressing her shirt and I tried to use my stealth abilities to remove myself from the crime scene. "Hey, wait for me! Let's head back together." I was about to ask if she really wanted to hang out with someone like me, but her smile was simply too cute and I lost the ability to speak. _Damn you, Hachiman!_ The times I needed Misdirection the most it always failed me, just like a certain blue haired teen. **[1]**

* * *

A few days later, I was once again playing tennis in gym class. After so much training, I had become a master of squash.

Suddenly, my vision went full black and I felt two tiny hands covering my eyes, "Guess who?" An angelic voice said in a playful manner. I knew about this situation, this was the _'Guess who?'_ game that was mostly used by flirty or playful girls. For a second, I could feel how happy the popular kids were.

Unfortunately for this fairy, I already knew the answer, "What are you doing, Totsuka? I told you that I won't tell your secret, so you don't need to keep tabs on me." Now the girl had a dejected expression on her face and I knew that I had messed up with my aggressive attitude.

"It's not about that, Hikigaya! I told you before, I honestly want to be your friend."

"Tch, that is impossible. I don't have friends and people will start thinking that you are a weirdo for hanging out with a delinquent. I'm a bad influence, so just stay away, okay?" Totsuka, please stop looking at me like that or I won't be able to keep up my tough façade.

"I won't give up~" Totsuka said with a cute smile, "U-Uh, today you know, will y-you be my partner?"

 _What is she saying?_ This situation really looked like a confession scene. She was blushing and gazing at me with upturned eyes, patiently waiting for an answer. _God, she's way too cute!_ I couldn't refuse her now.

We ended up playing tennis together, since I couldn't say no to the 'Prince of tennis'. Gender aside, this nickname really suited her. She was a pretty girl, very cute and really good at sports.

When she wore the male uniform, I could barely tell that she was a girl, but when she was in her green gym uniform, my trained eyes could see right through her lie. I was still curious about her situation… I was starting to wonder why such a cute girl would lie about her gender.

We were now taking a break from our intense practice session. I was sitting down on a bench and suddenly my tennis partner sat right beside me and our shoulders were almost touching. _She is way too close._

"I enjoyed playing with you, as I thought, Hikigaya is pretty good." Her honest words almost made me cry in happiness, I wanted to hug her. "Hmm, I wanted to ask you for some advice." She said with a serious look on her face.

I nodded and she explained the situation, "It's about our tennis team... we aren't very good and we lack members. The upperclassmen will graduate by the next tournament and we have a lot of new kids who never played tennis... Because we're so weak I can't get motivated, so... Won't you consider joining my tennis team?"

I understood her point of view, since her team wasn't very good, people didn't want to join it. Having less members also meant that anyone would be eligible for the tournament even if they were weak. Those players were never going to get better and this was a vicious cycle.

 _Crap!_ This was one of those moments where my decision would define my ending route. One wrong move and I would be stuck with the 'bad ending'.

Totsuka noticed the confusion in my eyes. She was hugging her knees while looking at me with pleading eyes, "You're good at tennis and I think you can get better, Hikigaya. You could also motivate people and... If it's you, I think I can become more motivated too... I don't mean that in a weird way, it's just that I want to get stronger and play with you!"

"It's fine for you to be weak, I'll protect you!" This phrase somehow slipped through my lips. This felt strange, almost like instinct. I felt like I was trapped in one of those déjà vu moments. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to say that! I don't know if I can help you with that, Totsuka... I'm a lazy person who hates responsibilities." Totsuka's lovable innocence made me want to accept her request, I wanted to help her.

"Please, don't reject the idea yet. Think about it a little more, okay?" Her smile was weak and she felt rejected, I could see it in her expression. "I think I feel a bit better after talking with you, thanks." She was making me feel guilty and I wouldn't be able to be at ease after seeing her sad expression.

* * *

Her sad face made me go back to that stupid club. I was now standing in front of the service club's door.

I entered and just like the first time, Yukinoshita was sitting in her chair, reading her book in a peaceful way. I had to admit that this girl was simply beautiful, "Yo." I greeted lazily as I stepped inside the classroom.

Yukinoshita almost dropped her book and her eyes were open wide in surprise, "H-Hikigaya, what are you doing here?" Her voice was shaky and she wasn't acting like herself. "Uh, I wanted to talk with you about some family matters, but you never returned to the club... I-"

"Look, I'm not here to discuss the stupid meeting that you sister arranged with me... I'm somewhat mad about that situation, but it will eventually pass. Today I'm here because I found a new request for this club."

With my honesty, Yukinoshita's expression softened and she even offered me a shy smile, "We'll talk about that later then. However, this is really unusual... Since when were you the type of person that worries about others?" Ladies and gentlemen, the Demon Superwoman was back and she was already insulting me.

"For the very first time, someone asked me for advice and I felt like it was an honest request for help, so I wanted to do something about it. You know who Saika Totsuka is, right? Sh- I mean, he wants to improve his tennis team."

"That's very honorable, but you shouldn't listen to every wish and try to help everyone, trust me I experienced it." I felt like I just stepped on one of Yukinoshita's mines and now I was feeling bad for making her remember her tragic past.

"I think that I could join his club temporally, in order to scare them into being more active. If a new guy with good tennis skills joins, won't they try harder to keep their places?" I tried to use my logic to persuade Yukinoshita.

"I admit that what you said it's possible to happen. They will band together if presented with a common enemy… But they would only try to throw you out, which won't translate into any type of improvement. Impossible, I can't accept this solution." She almost took the bait and it seemed like a weird switch had just flipped 'on' insider of her. She loved any type of challenge and she would gladly accept this request if it meant that she could win against me.

After some banter between the two of us and after introducing the 'Prince' to Yukinoshita, just like I had predicted, she accepted Totsuka's request.

We were now focused on improving Totsuka's tennis ability and that devilish smile of Yukinoshita screamed something like, 'I'll make you stronger if you give me your soul!' She was terrifying, but I'd protect Totsuka's cuteness no matter what.

* * *

In the next day, during the lunch break we started our plan to improve Totsuka's ability as a tennis player. Unfortunately for me, I was being dragged into this mess. Even though I genuinely wanted to help Totsuka, I would love to avoid wasting my precious stamina in some stupid physical activities.

"First we'll have to on strengthening your muscles, so please, do push-ups until you're ready to die." Everyone was shocked when Yukinoshita presented her training regimen. Making this cute girl go through so much pain, she wasn't human. Well, it wasn't her fault, Yukinoshita was probably oblivious to the fact that Totsuka was a girl, just like most of our school. It seemed like I was one of the chosen who could see the truth hidden beneath that fluorescent uniform.

Somehow, Zaimokuza joined our training session and just like me, this guy had sharp eyes, he was very suspicious about Totsuka's gender, "Someone that cute can't possibly be a guy, don't screw with me!" He still wasn't convinced and he kept looking at Totsuka in a perverted way as she kept doing her exercises.

I felt the urge to punch him and blindfold his dirty eyes. _I'll protect Totsuka's innocence!_ Yukinoshita forced the two of us to exercise too, when she noticed our lecherous gazes directed at the defenseless girls. It wasn't our fault really, Totsuka was the cutest girl in the world and Yuigahama's 'skin' was starting to show as she kept doing push-ups.

* * *

Soon after, they actually started practicing with the rackets. Zaimokuza was trying to develop some type of ultimate magic shot, Yukinoshita was reading her book under the shade of a nearby tree and once Yuigahama got bored, she decided to spend most of her time napping next to her friend.

I was simply lazing around in one of the corners of the court, observing the doings of those four. At some point Yuigahama had woken up and she was now throwing tennis balls at Totsuka and she was trying to shoot them back. Due to tiredness, Totsuka ended up falling, but insisted that she wanted to keep training.

Yukinoshita was surprised at her perseverance and left the tennis court looking somewhat frustrated.

To complicate our situation, a second Queen decided to invade our training session, "Ah, are you guys playing tennis? Hey, Totsuka, I'd like to play tennis too. How about making some space for me?"

Yuigahama was looking away with an uncomfortable expression on her face, she greeted her friend Miura, but the blonde wasn't paying attention to her. Her Highness's eyes were focused on me and I could sense some killing intent.

Zaimokuza was invisible for the higher-rankers of our class, Yuigahama got completely ignored and Totsuka was being intimidated. I was about to get murdered, so I decided to stop this scene, "I'm sorry, but we're practicing with Totsuka so we can't let you use this court. You can call this outsourcing, or something… Even though we aren't on the tennis team, we're helping our classmate." I rejected Miura's proposal in a serious manner, finally getting her name right in my head.

"What are you talking about, idiot? You're siding with Totsuka? I thought you were just a creepy delinquent, but I guess I was wrong." This bitch had no intention of listening to us and she showed no intention of wanting to solve this situation peacefully. _Why is she still mad at me?_

"Okay, let's not fight. It's more fun if everyone plays, right?" Behold, the King had arrived to mediate this duel. His words and attitude were so annoying, he was the definition of a fake person.

"What the hell do you mean by 'everyone'? Is it the same 'everyone' you use to beg your parents for something? This is highly ironic coming from someone that already has everything... Look at Totsuka, sh-he's trying hard to become better and you and your loyal dogs came here to take away the little we have. You seriously have no shame."

"Ah, I didn't mean anything by that... I'm sorry, I guess?" He looked puzzled with my sudden outburst and he quickly tried to offer me some type of comfort. He was a good person, but not in a genuine way.

"...Hayama, can't you go show your superiority somewhere else? I know you have a good personality and you're also the ace of the football team. You're also good looking and popular with the ladies... You already have so much and yet you want to steal these tennis courts away from us? Please, spare the lower-ranking kids."

In the meanwhile, Zaimokuza had joined my rebellious move against the famous teens and Yuigahama and Totsuka stood speechless behind us.

"Who are you calling dogs? You're going to pay for that humiliation Hikio, I swear! What are you just standing there for, Hayato? I want to play tennis." Miura, the girl with idiotic curls said and this wasn't going to end well for us.

Hayama proposed a flawless plan to solve the conflict between both sides. His genius plan consisted of all the people not on the tennis team playing a mixed doubles match against the two blonds and the winner would take the tennis court and Totsuka. _Please, don't take my Totsuka!_

"This is so much fun!" Miura said in a high-pitched voice as she approached me. "Let's make this interesting and whoever loses will have to grovel on the ground and ask for forgiveness to its master... How does that sound, Hikio?" The Queen of Fire smiled fiercely as she whispered her malicious plan in my ear.

We now had a huge problem on our hands. Yuigahama was really bad at sports, Zaimokuza was even worse and I was probably the only player capable of surviving a whole match against those two.

Suddenly, quite a few people began to crowd around the tennis court. Most of those people were Hayama's friends or his fan club. The spectators started cheering loudly for the main idol as if we were on an idol concert. Damn it, being an idol really had its perks.

The enemy side was ready to destroy us. Our newbie team was about to give up, due to the huge amount of pressure. Totsuka kept apologizing, she was feeling very guilty and now even her fans started cheering for her: 'Go prince!'. _So annoying…_

"Hey, hurry up! But seriously, is there a girl who wants to play with a delinquent? Ha-ha, this is great!" Miura laugh was getting on my nerves and I wanted to make her kneel on the ground and beg for forgiveness.

Thankfully, Totsuka was able to make things better by saying that she would gladly take me as her partner. Unfortunately, she couldn't play with me and she also had to protect her secret.

Yuigahama decided to betray her friend, the annoying Miura and she decided to join me in this fight. The brunette girl seemed to care deeply for her new club and she decided that she wouldn't let Miura make fun of us.

Our chance of winning this match was close to zero. Hayama was a prodigy at everything and Miura was a tennis player in middle school from what I had learned.

The match started and I was paired with Yuigahama. I was having a hard time trying to return the balls that were shot in our way. My partner had no idea what she was doing and our enemies were trying to exploit her clumsiness. This idiot was such a good person, she was about to be humiliated just to defend Totsuka and her beloved club.

"If we lose it'll be bad for Sai-chan. If we fail, then I think that not even an apology will fix things!" Yuigahama said desperately while trying to recover her breath. She was almost out of stamina and she hadn't been helpful in this match. All that Yuigahama did during this match was dodge the balls that her sadistic 'friend' Miura sent towards her face.

"Relax, we can still dress Zaimokuza as a girl. Just stay somewhere in the court and I'll handle the rest. If I get serious and threaten them, maybe they'll walk away afraid of taking a beating." Yuigahama immediately refused this idea and I thanked her for that. I was probably horrible at fighting and underneath my delinquent façade, I was just a peaceful guy.

Thankfully, Yukinoshita appeared in the court wearing her gym uniform and she was also carrying a first-aid kit in one hand. When she realized what was happening her beautiful face became red in anger. The fight between the two Queens was about to resume.

Yukinoshita, the Queen on our side, was ready to take responsibility for what was happening and I saw her eyes gleam with enthusiasm. She loved challenges and she also admitted to everyone who that she had returned to save her new friend.

I was surprised to know that Yukinoshita now acknowledged Yuigahama as her friend and I almost died from a heart attack when she murmured something to me like: 'I don't mind if you think I'm your friend...' She was blushing and acting like a normal girl, this wasn't the fierce Queen that I knew.

Miura kept taunting Yukinoshita, she was definitely an idiot. Everyone should know that challenging the Queen of Ice was a death flag. With a new addition to our team, we finally began the final showdown.

I was surprised to see that Yukinoshita was an amazing tennis player. She managed to return every ball with elegance and her swift movement made her look like a trained samurai. For a couple of minutes, the two Queens turned this match into a duel and they kept returning every shot back with a huge killing intent, their eyes fueled with hostility. Yukinoshita was a firm believer that 'the best defense was a good offense'.

The crowd was roaring with this beautiful duel and feeling the scent of victory, Zaimokuza returned to cheer for us, "Fuhahaha! My minions are all-powerful! Go get them!"

At this point the fairy known as Yukinoshita had the full control of the crowd thanks to her amazing display of footwork. The males were going crazy. However, everyone was staring at me like I was ruining this amazing show. I could feel their heated gazes on my back.

When I traded gazes with Yukinoshita, her expression seemed less 'cold' and this was the indication that something was wrong. The Queen of Ice was running out of battery.

She suddenly missed an easy ball, falling in the middle of the court in a dramatic way, "I've always been able to do everything, so I always finished my tasks quickly and that's why I don't have confidence in my stamina."

"Oh~, seems like that's our win!" The Queen of Fire said in an arrogant manner, looking at us like we were trash. Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, Hayama tried to finish this match while we were still tied.

"Shut up for a second. This man here will finish the match, so please accept your defeat." Yukinoshita said looking at me with an enormous amount of respect. All eyes were focused on me and now Zaimokuza, Yuigahama and Totsuka were chanting my name.

I focused solely on the match and everything became quiet. I could only hear the sound of the ball bouncing as I prepared my serve. I still had to finish my lunch and I really wanted to stop this stupid tennis match.

Trusting my knowledge about the special sea breeze that always blew during the lunch breaks, I hit the ball towards Miura and she tried to hit it back, but the ball switched directions and she failed her swing. Hayama was already running for the ball, but he knew nothing. **[2]** This wind didn't blow just once and Hayama ended up missing my miracle curve ball.

Everyone was in silence as the ball fell to the ground. The match was over and they couldn't believe that the beast had won against the heroes, "I've heard about this legendary skill... Hikigaya can freely control the wind, he is a true 'Descendant of the wind'. He's the Last Airbender!" **[3]** Zaimokuza shouted loudly, totally ruining my cool move.

I had won, but everyone was still cheering for Miura, Hayama and even Yukinoshita. I felt like I was the real loser, so I picked up my racket and I threw it on the ground, "Tch, this was ridiculous. I'm out of here." Even if I did something amazing like that, I would always be the villain on everyone's eyes... I was not born to be popular and everyday society would remind me why I loved to be a loner.

Walking away from the scene, I heard Totsuka and Yuigahama thanking me loudly and when I turned around to wave at them, I saw Miura wearing a sad expression. "What's wrong with that girl? Tch, what a pain..."

* * *

Another boring school day was over and as usual I was heading home in the company of my lonely shadow. Unlike the popular kids who walked home together, I was a loner who always found comfort on being alone.

Those who were blessed by popularity always enjoyed to show off their great social skills. I was sure that I had never felt the need to be accepted. I was an outcast molded by society's darkness and thus, I became this cynical person who hated human interaction.

However, today I was feeling a certain uneasiness that wasn't normal. I kept feeling like I was being watched, no, I was sure that there was someone stalking me. Unlike a certain perverted male with stripping habits, I was sure that I wasn't being followed by a cute girl. **[4]**

I started walking faster and I took alternative shortcuts in order to ease my paranoia. The shadows made by the sun were freaking me out and all of the environment sounds were making me jumpy. I could swear I was hearing footsteps right behind me.

I made the decision to look back and end this agitation. When I turned around, I saw nothing. I decided to turn around and start running towards the closest populated zone. I was only a few blocks away from my house, but if there was someone tailing me, I couldn't make the mistake of leading them towards my dear sister.

As soon as I started moving forward, I felt my body being pushed against the nearest wall. My vision got blurry and my chest started to hurt like hell. It felt like I was tackled by a wild Tauros. **[5]**

Seconds after the impact, I finally regained my senses and noticed that there was a huge guy grabbing me by the collar. He looked like he was on steroids. 'Huge' wasn't the best description for him, this guy was the Colossal Titan. **[6]** To make me feel even more intimidated, he was wearing a creepy hockey mask. _Oh, hello Jason!_

Suddenly, a small guy appeared from behind his partner. _How amazing..._ This one was wearing a blue shark mask, which covered all of his face. Despite looking fragile and not so threatening, the little fellow was swinging around a wooden bat. That thing was about to hit me… I could feel it.

"Hello~ it's so good to finally meet you like this! You have been a naughty boy, Hikigaya... Give him some love." The smaller dude said in a devilish manner.

Apparently, he was the brains and now the muscle was about to smash me. One, two, three punches right in my face. _Please, not in the face!_ It was one of my main attributes, I was a pretty handsome teenager.

After stopping his punches, the large guy pushed me against the wall and I fell on my knees. I coughed really hard, trying to recover my breath. _Am I spitting blood? Fantastic!_

I tried to get up, but I was shaking too much. However, before I could gather my strength, the big thug kicked me in the side of the head making me fall to my left side. I wanted to get up, but my body wouldn't answer. I couldn't stop smiling ironically while gasping for air. I was frozen in panic.

"You see, you've been acting like you own the school and if you don't change your attitude, we'll have to teach you by fear." Finishing his words, the smart-ass hit me with his bat right in the stomach.

"Aren't you going to fight back, wuss? C'mon, aren't you supposed to be Sõbu's delinquent?" Oh, so he could talk after all… I thought he was just a faceless grunt with no importance to the story.

Despite this hopeless situation, I was weakly laughing on the ground, "Fuck you..." Being hit like this was the worst, but admitting that I was suffering would destroy my stupid pride. I wished that I had acted in a better way. I wanted to smash these guys' faces, but I was just a weak fool.

"Oh, you're still talking shit, huh? Still acting tough in a situation like this… You're pathetic! If you don't stop, you'll end up in a wheelchair and if you anger me I'll come after your family too! Not even the almighty Gayas will be able to stop us. No one will protect you!" Maybe this guy was after me because of my family business. I knew that this 'heir' situation would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I was probably about to pass out, but remembering that I had to protect my sister made me gain strength, I got up and punched the smaller guy in the face. They backed away in shock after my blow and the tiny dude started coughing a bit. If I had enough strength to fight back, this would be my chance, but my head was throbbing and my body gave out.

Once again I was at their mercy. They hit me a couple of times, but at this point I couldn't feel anything, my body was already numb from taking so much damage. The small guy said something and the henchman immediately pushed my body down, against the cold floor.

This street must be the most deserted spot in Chiba. _How sad..._ I was about to die just a couple of meters away from my comfy house. _Be safe, Komachi._ I felt one last sting of pain in my left arm and my vision became black. I was in the limbo. What a tragic event... The main character was about to die in an alley, in the company of some secondary characters.

Suddenly, I heard a loud noise, something metallic had just fallen near me. _Is that the sound of a trash can?_ I could her some steps and there was definitely someone shouting, "Oi, what the hell are you doing, bastards?" I was still lying on the floor, barely conscious and I couldn't understand what was happening.

1 HP was all that I had left and it was a miracle that I was still conscious. I wasn't knocked out instantly due to my Sturdy ability. **[7]** There were some groans and shouts and after that everything went quiet.

Someone knelt on the ground next to me and picked up my damaged body. My prince, my savior, my knight in shining armor was next to me, but I couldn't see a clear image of this selfless hero. I heard a soft whisper, "Please, don't die... Hang on, I'm getting help." My face was getting wet and really hot. I was pretty sure that I was covered in blood.

I could understand the part where the help was mentioned and I felt extremely happy to be alive, "D-Don't le-eave me…" That was the last thing I said. If life was a game, this was the part where the _'game over'_ warning would pop up.

* * *

[1] – Reference to Kuroko no Basuke, Misdirection is one of the skills used by the protagonist Tetsuya Kuroko.

[2] – Reference to Game of Thrones, the famous 'You know nothing, Jon Snow' phrase.

[3] – Reference to Avatar the Last Airbender.

[4] – Reference to Gray and Juvia of Fairy Tail.

[5] / [7] – Reference to Pokémon.

[6] – Another reference to Attack on Titan.


	4. Facing fears with a smile

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

Even though I was still sleeping, my mind was somewhere else. I wanted to roll my body due to the lack of comfort, but for some reason I was unable to do so.

This bed felt weird and I was sure that I wasn't sleeping in my soft mattress. My body remembered this sensation. This felt just like an awful hospital bed and that was bad sign.

My body was paralyzed, I couldn't feel my arms and my legs wouldn't respond. I was feeling awfully cold. When I tried to remember what had happened to me, it seemed like my brain was hit by a taser.

The only thing that I could remember was an image of me kneeling on the floor of a dark alley, my blood splashed on the ground.

Everything was fuzzy and I was hoping that this memory was just a nightmare. Trying to change my negative mindset, my brain focused on another random event, which once again seemed like a creation of my delusional head.

I was lying on the ground gasping for air and my clothes were covered in dirt, this could only mean one thing, I had a fight.

Even though the situation seemed similar to my first memory, this time the protagonist was a younger version of myself. In the background, some brats were shouting some insults while leaving with satisfied smiles on their faces, " _You're so weak Hikikaeiru! Go play house with your girly boyfriend, you freaks!"_

In my head I had reached a basic conclusion, since young I had always been a pathetic guy... A loser who couldn't stand up for himself, another victim of bullying.

I remembered looking to my left side and seeing a small boy with grey hair on his knees crying desperately, _"I-I'm s-so sorry Hachiman! If I was stronger you didn't have to protect me all the time... I hate this cute body, this girly face! I wish I could be a guy."_

 _"Don't say that! In my opinion you look like an angel, no one can really tell your gender and that's awesome! You look cute and cool, you have the best of both worlds. It's okay to be weak, I'll protect you…I'll be your friend."_

Offering the hand to my 'childhood friend', I remembered flinching when a fragile body embraced me, _"T-Thank y-you Hachiman..."_ My supposed friend said in between sobs, wait I could remember this situation, _"I want to be your friend, you can call me Saika!"_ I hadn't expected this type of development. So, what Totsuka said about both of us being friends in the past perhaps was indeed the truth, even if we couldn't remember, we were friends when we were kids.

I felt my eyes finally opening, probably due to the shock of remembering what happened to me the last time I was conscious. My heart started beating like crazy, especially when I noticed a girl with bluish hair sitting just beside my bed. Her eyes seemed to ease when our gazes met, but she immediately cut eye contact and made a scary expression, "You're finally awake. Well, I'm leaving now that I've done my job."

Somehow, I gathered the strength to grab her sleeve using my right hand, "Wait... Who are you and what happened?"

She stayed seated by my side, her eyes once again focusing on me, "…You don't remember. Are you dumb? I guess it's normal after taking a beating like that. Two guys almost killed you and I managed to scare them away when I was passing by."

I was really confused, but she seemed like a frank person, "H-How did you save me? Are you hurt?"

She sighed in annoyance, "Are you really going to keep asking me stupid questions? I can't babysit you all day." Her aggressive attitude made me flinch. However, her turquoise eyes were beautiful and they made me feel safe. The beauty spot under her right eye made her look more mature and her long hair was distracting me.

I was mesmerized by this girl. The tall girl looked unapproachable and she was probably strong enough to take out a thug by herself, but what she did was amazing. I felt my cheeks getting hot and I was about to fall in love with my prince. _Crap!_ The roles were definitely reverted and I was surely under the effect of morphine, I wasn't acting like myself.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm not angry, but I really needed be at home to take care of my siblings… I also had to miss my job… _I'm probably going to get fired_. If you don't mind, I'm going home." She picked up her school bag and she was ready to leave.

I felt like there was something missing, I wanted to say something. "Wait!" I shouted in panic, "Please, can you check if my little sister is safe? I-I need to know if she's okay!" I tried to get up, but only my head responded, every other part of my body was immobile due to the meds.

"Calm down, I already talked with her and she's fine. She's at my house and today she'll stay with us." She said in a motherly tone as she adjusted my pillow and pushed me against the uncomfortable mattress.

"…Did you tell her what happened?" I said anxiously, not wanting to let my precious Komachi worry about her lame brother.

"No, I only told her that I had found you unconscious. You're the one supposed to tell her the truth. Look, I don't know what you have been doing with your life, but it seems like there are people willing to kill you. You should take better care of yourself and be more careful. Tch, now I really have to go, we'll talk later."

If I could, I would kneel before this girl to show her my gratitude, "Thank you so much... I owe you my life and I don't know how to repay you, I don't even know your name."

She seemed surprised with my sudden gratitude and she offered me a kind smile, "My name is Saki Kawasaki and I'm your classmate. I don't need anything from you and please stop that. It's weird to see a guy act so pathetically… Just focus on recovering."

After finishing her curt speech, my hero left the hospital room, with her bag resting on her back. I knew who she was now, not by name, but by reputation. She was the female delinquent of our school. She surely made justice to her reputation, unlike me. She was strong, cool and a little bit scary. However, I could feel that she wasn't just a harsh person, this girl was also very kind and serious.

Anyways, my sister was safe and I was happy to survive another unlucky situation. Now I just wanted to rest.

* * *

In the following morning I was visited by a male doctor that somehow looked very familiar, "Ah, hello Hikigaya-sama. It's great to see you awake. I'm Dr. Totsuka and I've been working with your family for many years." His handsome face reminded me of someone I knew, he was the father of Saika Totsuka.

 _Is he bowing his head?_ Damn, now I had to deal with another loyal 'servant' of my family. I just wanted to sleep a little more, "Thank you for your hard work, I guess? How bad are my injuries? I really want to go home."

He offered me a kind smile and said, "You have a small fracture on your left arm and we'll have to apply a plaster cast, so that your bone can recover properly. You'll be able to go home tomorrow, but your arm will take around four weeks to recover. We have to check your arm every week. You'll also receive some medicament for the pain." I clicked my tongue in annoyance, this was exactly like last time I was hospitalized, just before graduating from middle school. Fortunately for me, this time I could go home sooner.

"Before I leave, I just wanted to wish you good luck with your recovery. You have some people waiting to visit you and as expected Hikigaya-sama is very popular. I hope that my shy daughter will become useful for you one day. I always wanted to have a son and train him to become your ideal right-hand man, but instead I raised that frail and cute girl..."

Oh, now I understood everything. This sexist asshole was probably the one responsible for making Totsuka go through hell, just because of his twisted ideals. He was way too devoted to my family's organization and his mind was clearly stuck in the past.

I was about to show this guy the fury of Hachiman Hikigaya. _No one messes with my dear Totsuka._ To be honest, right now I was furious. First of all, he made a huge mistake by mentioning my family. I hated everything related to my family, of course that my precious sister was an exception.

He also tried to look good in front of me, his supposed 'boss', by showing some type of twisted loyalty. His mind seemed to be stuck in the past. I didn't need anything from him and I couldn't stand the fact that he was trying to make his daughter become the ideal male 'servant' for the sake of my family.

He was probably the one forcing Totsuka to ruin her genuine purity. Maybe she approached me recently because this man forced her to do so... Now everything related to that Saika Totsuka seemed to make sense.

I was a fool for not paying more attention to this weird situation and now I was feeling very disappointed. I was stupid enough to think that maybe friendship would be a good thing for me… I was wrong and I felt like I had betrayed myself and my own stupid act.

I didn't need any type of fake friendship or loyalty. I didn't need some type of assistant, a trustable companion or a personal butler to watch my back. His retrograded idea of loyalty was disgusting and I couldn't tolerate this.

To make things even better, this man was the most idiotic person that I ever met. He was indiscreet about my family background and he even criticized his daughter in front of a stranger.

The headache that I was feeling yesterday was returning and now I was seriously pissed off, "Look, I don't know who you are, but you need some etiquette lessons. Let me tell you one thing, I hate talking about my family, so never do that again. You also offended your daughter in front of her classmate, you're a terrible father and I can't tolerate this attitude. If I become your future 'boss', I would fire you just because of what you did today, so please, just leave me alone."

I could feel my blood pulsing through my head and this enraged speech was only worsening the condition of my aching body. The grey haired man stood silent for a couple of seconds, probably shocked by my outburst.

Suddenly, the doctor bowed forward in an apologetic manner and said, "I'm terribly sorry, Hikigaya-sama! Please, forgive me for being such an unpleasant person, but sometimes I tend to phrase my intentions poorly... I didn't want to disrespect you or my daughter, I was simply expressing how unhappy I was for not being able to keep the promise I made with your grandfather."

My foul mood was reaching new levels, but at the same time I became curious, so I let him do the talking, "Your grandfather was the one who helped me with his funding when I needed. My family, this hospital, everything is still working properly thanks to that amazing old man. I wasn't raised by my parents, but your grandfather accepted me and helped me when I needed. He's like a father to me and he never asked for any type of payment and now that he's close to dying, I'm desperate! I can't do anything for him... I can't pay him for what he did. The only thing that he asked from me was that one day my firstborn could become your support, a close friend of yours and that's why I grew obsessed with this. I'm truly sorry."

Taking a little longer to process every detail that he said in this desperate apology, I was about to answer him by saying something dumb when luckily I was interrupted by the room's door, which was abruptly open by a female figure.

"I'm sorry to interrupt boys, but I can't stand this nonsense anymore. There are clearly some misunderstandings between the two of you and I think that we should let Hikigaya calm down first, right?" A familiar character appeared, it was Hiratsuka, my teacher and counselor at school. One more troublesome person had joined the 'Annoy Hachiman' train. _Why is she here?_ For god sake, I just wanted some rest.

"Uhh, Hiratsuka, I thought you were waiting outside... I'm sorry that you had to witness my stupidity, please don't be harsh on Hikigaya-sama. I was rude and indelicate with his feelings." For some reason, Totsuka's father was defending me from the female teacher.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for that doctor. I overheard your argument and I had to step in. As always doctor, you're way too clumsy and you still don't know how to express yourself properly. Hikigaya is also very stubborn and tends to get offended quickly. Kids in their rebellious stage are really tough to handle, so can you please give him some time to rest?"

The doctor seemed content with the intervention of the dark haired teacher and soon accepted her offer, "Yeah, you're right Hiratsuka. Thanks for everything and please, take good care of my daughter and Hikigaya-sama."

My teacher nodded and this time the doctor turned to face me, "Hikigaya-sama, I hope that we meet again and hopefully you'll be able to forgive this foolish man that hopes to be useful one day." After his sincere speech, the man bowed with respect and left the hospital room, leaving me alone with my teacher.

"Awkward... Anyways, what are you doing here, woman?" Now that one of the nuisances was gone, I had to handle Hiratsuka.

Finally dropping the heavy looking bag that she was holding, Hiratsuka said, "You're being rude again, Hikigaya! I thought that you were finally making some progress, but I see that I was wrong."

 _Crap!_ I had messed up, I was supposed to act more friendly and bubbly towards people, at least in her presence. However, she was still dodging my question and noticing my annoyed sigh she continued, "I heard that you were in trouble again and of course I had to visit you. I can't let one of my students alone in a situation like this."

"Well, that's a start, but you still haven't explained how you knew that I was here. I haven't contacted my parents or the school, so…" I said in a bored tone, noticing that she was still hiding some details.

"Sometimes you are really picky about the unimportant details Hikigaya and that's one of your flaws. Yesterday, I received a call from a female delinquent telling me that she had found you unconscious on the street. I wanted to help you, but I was still at work and that's why I told her to take care of the situation." That was a better explanation and despite being scary, this woman was really kind and that made me feel weird. She has been worried about me ever since the first year and I still wasn't used to being treated like this.

"What about my sister? Is she okay?" Her safety was my number one priority.

"Relax, your sister is safe. I knew that as a _siscon_ you would be worried about Komachi being left alone in that huge house... When I talked with Kawasaki on the phone, she had already called your sister and our female delinquent was the one who invited her to stay at their house. I was surprised by this and I only wanted to ask her to take care of your sister until my teacher's meeting was over, but it seemed like the two of them created a bond in that short period of time and I let them have some time. This morning, I took your sister to school and she was fine, even though she seemed to be worried about what _really_ happened to you."

I sighed in relief and for the first time I felt like I was actually comfortable in this horrible hospital room, "Well, that's really good to hear…Thank you." How embarrassing.

My teacher offered me a cheeky smile that made me regret my gratitude, "No, you should thank your female classmate. She was really worried about you and your sister. I was impressed with her motherly personality and I was happy to know that two of my troublesome students finally started to bond with other people."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and denied any type of proximity between the two of us. She was my knight, my savior and things should stay like that. I was a loner and I didn't believe in friendship. I just wanted to repay my debt and end this drama.

Still avoiding Hiratsuka's gaze, I said, "What did Komachi say about what happened? I bet she was really stressed about all of this... She was very worried and sent me a bunch of phone texts. My parents… Have you contacted them?"

"Komachi is a worrywart and she knows how hard it is to deal with you… She told me that you were in the hospital because you got hurt when you fell in the street… Your classmate insisted that Komachi didn't need to overreact to what happened, so she decided not to contact your parents. This all seems too suspicious, it's almost like the two of you are hiding something."

I committed the mistake of staring directly at Hiratsuka and her expression became serious, "Tell me, what really happened to you, Hikigaya?"

Trying to avoid her gaze, I tried to come up with a good excuse, "U-Uh, you see I-I was in a hurry, running back home and I ended up stumbling and I fell down the stairs... I'm really clumsy and I'm in a really bad shape… Maybe I should start exercis-"

"That's a lie, I know you well enough to see through that lame excuse... Tell me the truth, I know that you are hiding something, Hachiman." Her voice was a bit shaky, but I could tell that she was serious. The way she called me by my first name and her distressed expression showed just how worried she was about me.

"If you promise to keep this between us, I'll tell you." Hiratsuka nodded and sighing, I decided to be honest, "I was ambushed and attacked by two guys. One of them was armed with a bat… I still don't know what happened clearly, it all happened too fast, but I think that those guys probably knew who I was and attacked because of some rivalry with my family's business."

After an awkward silence she said with an angry expression, "I can't believe that there are people stupid enough to attack you because of that! Anyways, I think that you should tell your family what really happened, especially Komachi… She was really worried and I think she will soon discover the truth by herself, she is a really smart girl. You should also warn the police about those stupid thugs who attacked you, we can't let them run free after doing that."

With a brief pause, she suddenly got closer to me and took a closer look to my face, "Look at you, your face is full of bruises and scars and you look horrible… They really wanted to hurt you. Those fools went too far and they even broke your arm. If I knew something like this would happen, I would have paid more attention to you. _They trusted me and I failed you._ The next thugs that I see in Chiba will surely get a good beating, I'll teach them not to mess with my students!" **[1]**

She was taking this too seriously, this wasn't her fault. _What is she whispering?_ I couldn't hear her clearly, she was getting really passionate about this situation.

This was my problem, my responsibility, "This wasn't your fault, I was careless and I even provoked them... I'm weak and my arrogant attitude only made things worse. I won't tell my family about what happened, not yet. I don't want to go back to my family's house, but at the same time I want to protect Komachi. I still don't know what to do..."

Her eyes widened in surprise and she said, "Ehh? Where's the cocky Hikigaya that I know? I need a doctor, to bring me back the original brat! This isn't my student… This one is acting like a normal human."

"Oi, keep it down woman, my head hurts!" I was now shouting too… First she told me to be honest and now she was mocking me, I hated her.

"Sorry Hikigaya, I was just surprised with your attitude. Look, it's okay to be scared and confused and I'll try to help you the best I can, but you got to destroy those walls around your twisted heart. You have to rest a little bit and hopefully tomorrow we can talk more calmly."

Her kindness was melting my weakened heart and I felt the urge to accept her help, so I had to change the subject, "Tch, this is my problem, you don't need to butt in... And shouldn't you be working right now? Why are you carrying that huge bag?"

"Now that's the Hikigaya that I know, the stubborn student that avoids human interaction at all costs, you're already trying to throw me out of this room. Is this how you treat your visits? You're the worst… However, I can finally see our tsundere protagonist show some interesting developments and I like this."

I ignored her, she was clearly too obsessed with manga. I was still waiting for a serious response, "You're no fun… Don't worry, today I don't have classes with you guys. Hmm and you mean this bag? It's not huge, it's _big_ enough to carry everything that a woman needs. You see, I'm going to spend some days with old acquaintances."

Despite her nostalgic look, I couldn't take what she said seriously, the violent Hiratsuka had friends… That was weird, so I ended up faking some tears and said, "Sensei, I'm so proud of you... I thought that you were just like me, a delinquent teacher with no friends, but I was wrong. Wait, don't tell me you have a boyfriend? I feel inspired now sensei, if you can do it, I may find salvation too."

Seeing through my stupid joke and noticing my smirk, she raised her fist in anger and said, "You're in the hospital, but that doesn't mean that I won't punch you for being a rude brat. Unfortunately, I still don't have a boyfriend... Maybe if he was some years older, who knows? But that's not the point! I hope to see the old Hikigaya back tomorrow, because we need to have a serious conversation. I feel like there's a storm ready to blow away our peaceful Chiba and it will affect all of us... We'll talk tomorrow."

This woman was unbelievable, she loved to be dramatic. With her enigmatic phrase and a serious expression on her beautiful face, the female teacher left my hospital room. Lying back again, I stared at the white ceiling wondering what to do next, while also thinking about what Hiratsuka's words really meant.

* * *

After the visit of my violent teacher, I spend most of my time trying to sleep and unfortunately for me, my dear sister wasn't able to visit me. How I hated tests, even younger kids couldn't escape the curse that is school life. Thankfully, nowadays there were something called video calls and being able to see Komachi's face made my health points return slowly to the green zone.

I still didn't know if I should be happy or sad because this time I didn't need to stay in this hospital for weeks. Apparently brutally assaulted by a baseball bat wasn't that important or life-threatening. Scientific stuff was really my weak point, but I could say that what those two guys did to me hurt like hell and I felt like my life was about to end there.

Thankfully, I was saved and I could walk and resume my daily life in this same week and for me this was a nightmare. I would have to return to my classroom and deal with those annoying popular kids. I also had to deal with Hiratsuka's frustration and in the end of the day I would have to solve the problems of unhappy teenagers, by finding some miraculous solution in my fourth-dimensional pocket. **[2]**

I was still wondering how to keep Totsuka away, especially now that I learnt about what her crazy father was trying to do. I needed to keep her away from me and I was going to be honest and tell her that she didn't need to act friendly just because she was being forced to do it by her family. This façade was going to end… _How ironic._

I was also conscious that Komachi would soon find out the truth about what happened.

Like Hiratsuka said, she was a really smart girl and she knew me too well. I knew that I hadn't been acting normally and that was mainly because I was still a bit shocked with everything that happened. Maybe 'shocked' wasn't the best word, I was paranoid. Unlike our brief talks over the phone, lying directly to my sister would be something that would slowly corrupt my soul. I had to gather the strength to tell her the truth, Komachi deserved that.

Even though all of this problems were filling my mind with questions, they would be postponed for later. Luckily for me, I was able to leave the hospital just about launch break and that meant that I was free for the rest of this day.

I felt like I was forgetting something really important. _Is it hunger?_ No, I had already eat a small sandwich in my way home.

Finally arriving home, I went to the fridge and there was a yellow memo with my name on it, I read it out loud, _"Don't forget the meeting with the Yukinoshita eldest daughter, onii-chan~! I still have to scold you when you arrive home, so please be careful this time :)"_

Now I knew what was missing… It finally made sense, I knew that I was forgetting something that should be important, but to be honest, I couldn't care less for this meeting with Yukinoshita's older sister.

I could feel a chill running up my spine just by thinking about the possibilities and the numerous bad endings that this event could trigger. Hopefully, the older sister would be less devilish and rude, but that was just me being stupid, still believing that this messed up world could somehow repay me for all the messed up stuff that has been happening.

Going upstairs towards my room, I noticed that the guest bedroom was open and that was odd. Well, I think that our parents didn't visit us, otherwise they would already know about my unlucky 'accident'. Perhaps my dear sister decided to help her brother with the house chores.

Aww~, she was so sweet. She gained a lot of Komachi points today, but I wouldn't admit it directly. _Tch, I think that I really fit the description of a male tsundere._

Anyways, the two of us were really close and lately, she had been really helpful and she was my emotional support. She even remembered that her brother would totally forget about that stupid meeting that mom arranged. What a thoughtful sister… This was surely one of the traits that made my sister so popular. She was energetic, sweet and smart, but above all, she was a pro in social interaction.

Well, now I had to find some comfortable and nice looking clothes that would disguise my horrible appearance. _I look terrible..._ I had the appearance of someone who had survived a visit to hell, Hachiman Winchester would be a cool name for me use after being targeted for being part of that Yakuza-ish group. **[3]**

Gazing back at my reflection in the mirror, I noticed that my sharp grey eyes still looked very intimidating. I had one facial band-aid in my right cheek and in my left eyebrow there was a vertical scar that looked really nasty, but it combined perfectly with my scary eyes.

Of course that my broken arm was not helping. _How the hell will I fit into my shirts with this arm cast?_ In the hospital it was Totsuka's father that taught me how to wear a sling properly, because apparently I had to keep my broken arm in this weird position all day... _What a pain._

I ended up fitting inside a long-sleeved white shirt and since I was running out of time I decided to wear my favorite pair of jeans and some casual black shoes, I looked terrible anyways so there was no point in trying to cover my shitty appearance.

After some seconds of struggling, I reached the conclusion that it was impossible to fit my left arm in any good looking jacket, but it was cold outside and so I decided to wear my black jacket on my shoulders, much like a cape.

Damn it, my memories of my Middle School days were coming back and those were one of my 'Top ten' embarrassing moments. The otaku culture was really scary, it was something like a drug for a sad kid like me... I even did some cosplay and there was proof of that in my grandpa's house. I was a really lame person.

Anyways, looking myself in the mirror, I noticed that I was grinning like a crazy man and somehow I felt like I was enjoying everything that happened. _What is wrong with me?_ I looked like a zombie and I was almost killed with a bat, but I was still unconsciously smiling and my heart was beating like crazy.

I was feeling weird, but for the first time I felt excited and I couldn't stop smiling. Maybe I was still nervous about what happened and that was why I was acting like this. The boring life of a loner that I had been living for years was slowly changing and that was scary. With that thought in mind, I left home to meet with the devil.

* * *

[1] – Reference to one of my favorite scenes in the Batman trilogy.

[2] – Reference to Doraemon, our lovely blue cat that thought me a little of Spanish!

[3] – Reference to Supernatural, mainly the Winchesters brothers, because they are the definition of badass and I grew up watching that show.


	5. Meeting with the devil

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

My life had been a mess since I was young and lately, it became a complete mess. When I finally managed to avoid my family's claws by moving away to a new house with Komachi, fate decided to act and screw me once more.

I had everything in my hands to completely make a new start in my life, a deletion or even a reset, but because I changed to this High School weeks after the lessons had started, I became the center of everyone's attention because apparently the existence of transfer students in this 'prestigious' school was very rare.

In everyone's opinion I was a delinquent that was expelled from his first High School and due to the high levels of frustration I was feeling because of everything that was happening I decided to throw away what was left of my social life by playing the role of this school's delinquent.

 _Such misfortune!_ **[1]** After my grandfather became ill and he was forced to be hospitalized, Komachi and I finally received the green light to move to this new house where we were living now and we were even allowed to change schools, it was almost a miracle. This was an amazing feat for someone who wanted to keep his distance from his troublesome family, which were very strict with preparing our future. I only wished to live a peaceful life and I started to feel like I was tired of being tied down by their rules and expectations.

Anyways, when I started to notice that all of my plans were blown away because of some stupid rumors, I was so disappointed that I just decided to amuse the damned fools who created this stupid reputation for the poor transfer student, Hachiman Hikigaya.

At first I was certainly the victim in this story, but now I was sure that I was starting to enjoy this situation.

To make things even worse I was now being summoned by the Yukinoshita family, certainly the most influential people in Chiba and that was why I couldn't ignore this meeting, even if I had no clue what they wanted – I was sure that no matter what, this was my grandfather's fault.

I was about to meet the older sister of my _lovely_ club mate. Apparently, this Haruno Yukinoshita woman was the representative of their family for this type of meaningless events. Her father was a member of Chiba's diet – I really disliked politicians.

However, my parents could also be considered as one of the most powerful figures in Chiba. Even though my father never had a good relationship with my grandfather, he used his money to start a business of his own, cutting all ties to the Gaya-kai group. Slowly, my father managed to become the president and owner of small media groups that provided Japan with some of our beloved anime,manga, light novels and even music. My mother was no different, she was his partner in crime and most likely the big reason behind my father's success. They were like the real version of Isaac and Miria, the charismatic couple that spread happiness upon anyone and everyone they met, without noticing it. **[2]**

Too bad that those two corporate slavers couldn't spread a little of their 'happiness' towards their kids. To be more specific, me, Hachiman aka the less important member of our household and Komachi, the girl who felt lonely since young. Well, growing up used to be treated like trash by my parents, I quickly adapted to the harsh reality and decided to stop believing in genuine kindness, friendship and any other type of difficult feelings related in human interaction.

I was no martyr, I was well aware that I had dug my own grave by isolating myself using intimidation since young age. It was the only way to stop the bullying, I didn't want to suffer anymore... _Is this what people called social suicide?_ Yeah, this probably fitted the description.

Anyways, forgetting all of this crap and trying to focus on the road ahead of me, I strolled towards the famous Master Donut shop, which was very close to Chiba's train stop. As I tried not to focus in any tragic memories of my past, I became aware of three things that were really annoying me.

...

1) Stealth Hiki wasn't working and everyone was looking at me weirdly.

I wasn't trying to sound cocky, it was the cold truth. I looked like a pitiful thug that had lost a fight against an enemy gang. Ever since I left home, I started to receive some nasty glares and people started to avoid me by slowly stepping away as if I had some type of contagious disease.

2) I was really tired and I still couldn't feel my arm.

The damned meds that Dr. Totsuka gave me were too strong and now I understood why he told me to get some rest. The intense heat and my growling stomach were making my trip a lot harder too. I should just give up and let my mother do whatever she wanted to... Maybe she would finally hire a driver, with a nice limousine, which would drive me around and help me prevent stupid accidents. Yeah, that sounded somewhat cool and I felt that this would be a great way to show other that I was not only a delinquent, I was also a Yakuza heir. Maybe people would start calling me Ice King instead of creep, lowlife, punk and many other stupid names.

3) Being totally honest, I was afraid to meet this Haruno Yukinoshita woman.

 _Idiot!_ It wasn't like Hachiman, the delinquent teenager, was afraid of older women, nope, not at all. I was afraid of what this Yukinoshita family was capable of doing. Yukino, always seemed really nervous whenever her family was mentioned in a conversation, so this was definitely a warning to the incoming disaster that I was about to face. _What do they want anyways?_ Wait... In the worst case scenario, this family was also an infamous gang and in order to keep everything calm between us I was supposed start a fake relationship with one of their daughters. **[3]** This was highly improbable since I wasn't the main character of a romantic comedy, so I was probably safe. _No endless harems please…_

* * *

As I kept dragging my sore feet, I noticed that I had finally reached my goal, the donut shop that for some reason seemed really informal for a meeting like this. Whatever, I really needed to stop being so picky. My teacher was correct and I was slowly becoming a sicko and eccentric man that hated everything that didn't please his delicate taste. **[4]**

After some seconds of hesitation, I opened the shop's door and internally muttered an incantation that prevented the apparition of demons. People always laughed because delinquents were supposed to be dumb and violent people that didn't like to read, but I was different, I loved my light novels and that was the best way to spend my time efficiently during boring lessons. The same knowledge and skills that I had acquired from my days of otaku and hours of reading, I managed to survive multiple encounters with the youngest Yukinoshita and I was still mentally stable, or so I thought.

That was an amazing feat in my opinion. It was also a miracle that I had managed to keep my cool during those said occasions, that girl always managed to offend me effectively with her rude but precise attitude. She knew how to push my buttons and that was why I hated her.

I entered the store and ordered a cake that had a creamy top that was making me drool. To drink there was only one choice for me, café au lait. I hated sour things and since sweetening up the coffee and drink it afterwards was a custom in Chiba, as a person who loves his city, I couldn't resist and I ended up looking like a rich kid who knew a lot about food.

Now I had a huge problem on my hands, I didn't know the exact time that I was supposed to meet Haruno Yukinoshita. Unfortunately, I was a bit of an airhead and by mistake (or not) I deleted the message that my mother had sent me with the details necessary for today. _I'm so silly... Teehee!_

I was hoping that no one had noticed this stupid display caused by the habit that my cute sister passed on to me. I was about to take a seat near the counter and take out my phone, when I noticed that a beautiful young woman was staring at me.

 _Shit!_ When I caught sight of the owner of that somehow familiar, intimidating look, I was speechless. My body stiffened up and I was considering if I should just turn around and run towards the exit.

It was too late, I was too slow. Just like those events where the player has a limited time to react to a certain type of situation, I lost my opportunity to choose the best action and now I had to improvise.

"Huuuuh? Hachiman Hikigaya?" The woman in question said as she elegantly took off her headphones, smiled and waved her hands while looking at me like I was her prey.

Glossy black hair, amazingly white skin and beautiful facial features. She was a Yukinoshita, for sure. Her rare good looks and fashionable outfit, the woman smiling towards me looked like a portrait created by the best artist in existence.

Her smile and the glint in her eyes was scaring me though. This was not what I was expecting. I was expecting something more similar to Yukino, a cold beauty, but instead she seemed to be the perfect example of a social queen.

Sighing in despair, I grabbed my tray and tried to move as fast as I could towards her table. It was harder to move around with an unusable arm.

Noticing my struggle and lack of balance, Haruno Yukinoshita moved towards me elegantly while grabbing my drink with a smile, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you Hikigaya, but you really shouldn't keep a lady waiting you know!?"

I tensed up with her teasing, she was too much for me to handle. While she had multiple similarities to Yukino, there were also a number of differences between the two: exhibit A) Breasts. Unlike the younger sister, this woman had a mighty fine pair. That wasn't the only difference, but I was now too conscious of her slender body and my brain stopped working.

"T-Thank you for your help and sorry for the delay. I'm Hachiman Hikigaya." I tried to calm my raging hormones by presenting myself in a dumb manner.

"I'm your club mate sister, Haruno." She said as we finally reached the table where she was previously seated. After our exchange of pleasantries, I took a sit and in a swift move, Haruno decided to use the vacant space to my left. _Respect my personal space, woman!_ There was an awkward silence and she started sizing me up from head to toe.

A chill went down my spine and I was about to shiver. _Control yourself!_ I screamed internally as I tried to recover from the temporary paralysis.

"Gosh, you look exactly like _they_ said. Anyways, don't be so tense, Hikigaya!" Haruno said, finally breaking the tension with a broad grin. I wanted to dig a hole and hide inside it. I wanted to drink some of my café au lait to avoid random banter, but unfortunately, I was the owner of a cat's tongue.

"Well, I don't know if that's a compliment, but thanks..." I said with a bored tone. Yukinoshita probably told her about me, horrible stuff for sure. Maybe even my mother had provided some details personal details of me to this woman… _Damn it mom, stop trying to find me a girlfriend!_

"Mm? I've heard some interesting things about you from my cute sister and your mother, but I am really curious… Are you really a delinquent? Excuse my curiosity, but to be honest you look more like a guy who's being misjudged by his peers." She finally dropped the bomb. From the way that she was looking at my damaged face and arm, I knew that a Yukinoshita would be rude enough to snoop in my personal life. Just like her sister, I could sense how smart she was, however, unlike Yukino, this woman had the confidence and attitude to smash everything in her way while still looking innocent.

"Tch, that's what people usually call me, but if you're talking about these injuries, they were the result of an unfortunate event, much like what happened to me a couple of years ago. Tch, to be honest I would prefer to be resting at home, I'm rather tired…" When I realized what I had just done I gulped in fear, noticing that I had just offended this woman that I had just met. I just couldn't control my sharp tongue.

I was really frustrated and she was annoying me. This woman was a Yukinoshita and that alone gave her the authority to pry into the life of a lowlife like me.

"Haha! You're hilarious Hikigaya!" To my surprise, Haruno was laughing uproariously as she thumped my back. I had no idea what was so funny, I was simply rumbling about what happened to me and somehow she found all of this amusing.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm not making fun of you, I was just surprised to see that you were a more interesting person than I thought." Another weird 'compliment'... I was confused.

Tilting her head to the side and closing the gap between our bodies, she extended her left hand and forcibly made me gaze directly in her eyes. Once again I felt an ominous sensation that took control of my body. Her eyes were looking directly towards my soul and I felt like I was about to be devoured by this woman.

"Hmm, Yukino said that you have the eyes of a petty thug or even a pervert, but I think that they are beautiful. Normal people may find them scary, but I think that they show much of your character, _even if you're still a little green_." _What is happening here?_

I felt my face heating up and I felt like one of those female protagonists in a shoujo manga. This woman was a perfect Casanova, but even if she was praising me, I felt like her expression had changed a lot from her previous pleasant smile. Her grin was scary and I could sense that she was trying to show her superiority after my previous jab.

Slapping away her hand, I grinned as well and said, "I'm glad that someone finally noticed the beauty in my handsome face, but I'd like to end this meeting quickly."

Surprised by my cocky reaction, Haruno retreated, finally removing her breasts from my injured arm. After a weak laugh, she said "Now I understand why Yukino didn't know how to deal with you... The three of us are too similar and you aren't shaken by our power. Interesting indeed, Hikigaya." In mere seconds, her previous 'innocent' grin returned. This woman was a fake.

I kept munching on my food and after a small silence, Haruno said "Anyways, you seemed to be mistaken about the purpose of our meeting... This wasn't something that was arranged by our families, in fact, it was me who asked to meet you today. You see, I wanted to kill some time during my lunch break, so this is just an informal meeting between two young people."

Looking at her once again, I deduced that she was probably around twenty years old, which meant that she was a college student, an excellent one for sure. She was a Yukinoshita after all. I kept eating and let her do the talking, I was already bored and I knew that I wanted nothing to do with this person.

"Don't be rude, let's kill some time together, please~?" She was sounding too enthusiastic, I nodded just to shut her. "That super annoyed expression... Gosh, that's too much, it's exactly like I thought you would react." Once again she started laughing to herself.

"Let's talk about something interesting pleaseee. Hmm, you see, I've heard about you through Yukinoshita and Shizuka and I also know much about your family, but I wanted to ask you stuff personally... So, how does it feel to become the heir of the group Gaya?" Her eyes were glued on my face and her curious expression was killing me. She knew that this would be a delicate topic, but she wanted to see me burn.

"Excuse my language, but it's a pain in the ass. I didn't ask for any of this and unfortunately for me, it looks like it's something that I have to learn how to deal with for the rest of my life." I felt like I was a politician answering one of those annoying, but cute reporters that always tried to suck your blood in order to gain information.

Haruno puffed her cheeks and tried to hold another laugh, "That answer was perfect, Hikigaya. You might become a good president for the company after all... Maybe I can become your sexy secretary or maybe even your wife~" Finishing her sentence, once again, she closed the distance between our bodies and she run her hand through my newly acquired scar. This woman knew no limits with her abusive way of teasing others.

Before I could slap her hand away in disgust, a guy coughed loudly next to our table and I felt myself slightly jumping in surprise. Deciding to look towards the guy who was trying to get our attention, I met the gaze of another troublesome person, which was also smiling in a forced way. He was the King of our school, the handsome Hayato Hayama.

Haruno sighed in annoyance and immediately stopped the erotic caressing that she was previously doing, "Hayato? I thought that you had club activities until later... Weren't you supposed to call me beforehand?" Finishing her sentence, I could noticed the difference in her tone and expression, now I could finally understand how cold and unforgiving she really was.

Still in his uniform with his enamel bag hanging from his shoulders, Hayama loosened his tie and took a seat in our table, "Well, not until later, Haruno. I thought that you were supposed to have a study session with your classmates after lunch."

With a cold expression and a threatening sigh Haruno said, "Yeah, you're right, Hayato. At least I managed to kill some time in a nice way. Hikigaya is a really interesting guy, maybe you should learn one or two things from him. _You're always trying to be the nic_ e _guy…_ "

Now I was confused and I couldn't understand the type of relationship that between these two. They seemed like they were really close friends, but at the same time I almost felt like Hayama was nothing but a toy to this cold woman.

Hayama, who was still showing a fake smile, said, "Yeah, Hikitani is surely an entertaining person, but if you don't mind, I'd like to speak alone with my classmate, Haruno."

Seeing Hayama's serious expression and checking the time on phone, Haruno nodded and started to adjust her outfit. I mentally thanked the handsome guy for finally removing this crazy woman from my sight.

"Hikigaya, thanks for hanging out with me and Hayato, we'll talk later." Getting closer to my sensitive ears, she whispered secretly, _"Hikigaya, your type is definitely the best type out there. Please take care of Yukino and Shizuka, okay~?"_ A fresh scent invaded my nose while she spoke softly in my ears. I retracted my head backwards suddenly and that only made her giggle in satisfaction.

Dashing towards the exit in an elegant manner, Haruno Yukinoshita went her way, but not before turning her head and waving her hand with a somewhat provocative smile on her face.

Now with the extravagant Yukinoshita gone, what was left in this table was an awkward silence between two males who looked nothing alike. He was the perfect image of a hero and I would probably be perfect for the role of a villain.

He said that he had something to talk with me, but I thought that he just wanted to end Haruno's fun. _Is he acting like a jealous boyfriend?_ Hopefully not. Much like Haruno did with me before, Hayama started sizing me up, clearly curious to know what had happened to me.

I was getting tired of this situation, as the only ones left here, there was no reason for us to stay here. We never exchanged more than a few words and he probably was smart enough to notice that I hated his guts.

"What do you want?" I asked him in a rude manner, trying to show him that I had no intention of playing nice.

"Well, sorry for wasting your time, I just needed to talk with you about something... Are you okay? I think that you've seen better days, Hikitani." There it was, Hayama's kindness, how wonderful. I felt like a girl, my heart beating faster, I just wanted to be honest with him and tell how much I hated him for being a fake person who had everything.

"Huh? The idol of our school is worried about scum like me? I feel honored, honestly." I couldn't control myself at this point. For some reason he was laughing and that was annoying, so I went straight to the point, "Look let's not act like we are best friends or something disgusting like that. There's no pointing in lying to you, we're both rotten apples... I had a fight because that's what delinquents do, so what? Anyways, I survived, but to be honest, it's more troublesome to deal with your type, so just tell me what you want and let's end this."

"You don't need to be so hostile... I just asked it because there were people worried about you in our class, we both know that we don't get along well. Since no one saw you at school, people started speculating stuff. Anyways, I wanted to ask if you know about the Dollars site, which was based on a light novel." **[5]** Instead of his irritating smiley face, Hayama now wore a serious expression, finally dropping the friendly act.

"Tch, of course I know. I might not be a cool kid like you, but I do love my novels." _Why am I trying to make my situation less miserable?_ Even Hayama became uncomfortable, scratching his head sheepishly while nodding in pity. "So, what about it?"

"Yeah, you see, yesterday as usual, me and some of our classmates joined a chat room for people who supposedly live in Chiba and then, a creepy guy joined our chat and started saying weird crap like 'This city isn't safe anymore', but that wasn't the worse. Here, check this." As he tried to explain the situation to me, he extended his expensive phone towards me.

Picking up his phone with a huge amount of curiosity I looked at the screen and noticed that he wanted me to see some type of image. No, it wasn't an image, it was a print screen of the mentioned chat and I started reading the messages sent by this guy that used 'Shark-kun' as his nickname: _"Chiba is doomed! There have been a lot of crimes on the news recently... Better be careful on the streets, people might find some gangsters, scary~"_ After a couple of replies from some angry users and just before getting banned from the room, our fellow suspect left another message, _"I'm serious guys D: Even the mighty Gaya won't be using his left wing for some weeks... Check for yourselves if you don't believe me. No one is safe! ^^"_

My body froze and I was so nervous that I couldn't stop shaking. This was no coincidence, this was probably the bastard that attacked me with that baseball bat. _Who is he?_ _What does he want?_ He was bragging about what he had done to me and at the same he left a warning to the others. _This bitch!_

Just before losing all focus, Hayama decided to intervene, "I knew that this person was talking about you, especially after noticing that you had skipped school. Hey, are you okay, Hikigaya? Why do you have that look of glee? Stop smiling like that, this is not a joke!"

I gave him a confused look. I wasn't smiling or happy about this situation, at least that was what I thought. Deciding to ignore his kindness, I quickly tapped on the screen of his phone and sent the image to my email address. I handed over his phone and quickly stood up, "Your idiotic sense of kindness was handy this time, but don't worry, this has nothing to do with you."

Just before turning his back on him, I noticed that he had a gloomy look on his face, his expression was much colder than before and he finally decided to speak his mind, "You're an idiot if you think that you can handle everything alone. I won't force you to accept my help, but you should rely more on other people. Just be careful with those guys and avoid Haruno if you can... She seemed to be quite fond of you and that's never a good thing."

 _Is that some type of advice or a warning?_ Hayama's words were definitely much sharper than usual and for a moment I was curious to know more about this cold side of him. Anyways, deciding to not let curiosity guide me, I left the shop and went my way.

* * *

Wouldn't it be much easier if life was like a game where we could load up a save file and go back to a point where you could alter your choices? I wondered many times if my life would change if I had taken different actions.

The answer was probably a fat no. Some people said that humans were supposed to mess up so that they could learn with their mistakes. The ones who believed in religion and in the occult always blamed their cursed fate.

I was a realist, even if I was slowly starting to become a major liar. Most of the times I put the blame on my family for all the unlucky crap that had happened to me, but in reality I knew that I was the one at fault.

Even if I tried to be proud of who I was, I always felt guilty for not being able to become a better person. I had definitely made many wrong choices, but I was too adamant and stubborn to admit my mistakes. I had regretted many of my choices, but there was no going back. My life itself was the epitome of regrets.

 _"...You need to learn how to assume responsibilities...You have no other choice Hachiman..."_ Those words that my grandfather said started to replay continuously on my head, making me feel even worse. Yes, I was a coward that hated the idea of committing himself to something.

I hated everything and I was fully aware of how wrong I was and made me even angrier. The world was a bigger perpetrator than I was, always toying around with the ones that didn't deserved it.

Life was a daily battle of survival. It was full of wars, poverty, misery, discrimination and many other stuff that affected the most unfortunate. This world was merciless and only the victors were allowed to survive and succeed in life. What a merciless and terrible world, but I still found it wonderful and also very beautiful. **[6]** I was a twisted bastard.

Suddenly, I felt a slight touch on my shoulder and turned my head towards the girl who was calling my attention, "What are you doing here, idiot? You were supposed to be at home resting onii-chan." She was right, what was I doing here at the gate of my sister's school? It was cold outside and my head was feeling too light, but above all I just wanted to go home, sit around all day doing nothing. However, above all my superficial selfishness, I wanted to guarantee that my sister was fine.

"Tch, is that the way you treat your wounded brother? I was feeling lonely and decided to pick you up." Technically, I wasn't lying to her, yet, which was a nice start.

Grabbing my right arm in a hurry, Komachi started guiding me home like I was a stray cat, "You shouldn't have come. It looks like you're about to pass out. What would Komachi do without her worthless onii-chan? Kyaah! I bet that scored a lot of points~" Despite looking cheerful as ever, I noted that she had a different look on her cute face. She was also avoiding me, which was starting to make our travel a bit awkward.

"...You seem kinda troubled about something. Hey, onii-chan, what happened to you?" There it was, Detective Komachi at her best. Just from this little interaction that we had, she managed to notice that her brother was acting strange, what a terrifying little lady.

"Nothing at all... I mean, I told you yesterday, right? I just had a brief meeting with Death, nothing to worry about. I was careless and got involved in another accident, just like what happened during Middle School. They say that we learn from failure, not from success. So, based on that assumption, what happened to me was like a blessing in disguise. Maybe this was a way to alert me that living a boring, monotone life where nothing happens might be something good. In the other hand, if nothing happens then that means there might possibly be a storm brewing up soon." **[7]**

After spitting out those confusing words, Komachi finally looked me in the eyes, with an expression that I couldn't understand. She seemed surprised or even offended. "What's wrong, onii-chan?" She said in concern.

"Well, you know... Nothing happened, I've told you already everything that there is to know." I was hoping that she would just end this conversation here.

However, she was unfazed. She completely ignored my stupid logic and once again said, "Hey, did you know? You normally say ridiculous stuff onii-chan, but when something's wrong you wear this tough look on your face and you end up saying things that are even more pointless than usual?"

Her criticism was harsh, but precise enough to actually hurt my feelings, but was at this moments that I could sense that she was also a Hikigaya. It was true that most of the time I adopted this tough façade, in order to protect myself. I also said pointless stuff most of the time, but that was due to my poor communication skills. These said skills would always vanish under pressure and I would always ramble like an old man boasting about his past.

"This accident... Was this related to our family in some way? Were you attacked?" Despite her slow pace, I continued to walk in silence while listening to her. She was really a smart girl, too smart for her own good. I didn't want her to learn about the cruelty of this world.

"...Did they say anything?" When I said this I was clearly mentioning Kawasaki and Hiratsuka, the two that somehow got involved in this mess.

"Nope, nothing at all and that's why this is strange." She understood perfectly what I meant to say. "You probably noticed that their kindness wouldn't allow them to talk about those things without your consent, right? I just know that something isn't right." In a quick dash, Komachi got ahead of me and turned around to face me, eyeing my reaction.

Living together for a long time and knowing so much about each other meant that there would be things that the both of us would notice even without speaking a word, be it good things or bad things. I liked this about our relationship, we were really close, but at the same time this was a pain in the ass. I didn't want her to notice this type of situation, since I was a faithful believer that ignorance was bliss.

"...Nothing out of the ordinary happened." After I answered her with empty words, Komachi continued to look at me in silence, tilting her head dubiously with a weak smile. She was trying to break through my façade, but I couldn't back down now. Her serious posture demanded an honest response from me, but I couldn't break now. At this point she was starting to get a little annoying.

Normally I wouldn't mind this type of nosy reaction, but this time this was something that I wasn't prepared to share. Even if I tried to act like I always did, Komachi consciously tried to make me tell the truth and that made me explode, "...Enough of this! You're being annoying."

My words were hostile and cold. Komachi dropped her head for a second, but immediately looked back in my direction with tears in her eyes and her shoulders shaking, "W-What's with that tone of yours!? I was worried about you... I was thinking that this time you would disappear from my side and I was a mess. I wanted to see you onii-chan and that's how you act? Fine, I won't ask about it anymore, but I know that you're lying to me!"

I sighed and with my right arm I pushed her close to me, trying to hug her as best as I could with my unhurt arm. She tried to resist, but eventually she pressed her head against my chest and cried a little more, while pounding my back in a frustrated way.

"...I'm sorry, Komachi. Onii-chan won't leave you, ever, okay? I'm sorry for being rude, but this is something that I'm not comfortable to share with you. I promise to tell you the truth once I'm ready, but for now let's both be happy that I'm fine." She left my embrace and started to walk quickly ahead of me.

"…Something did happen, stupid, worthless onii-chan!" She was mad at me, I could tell that her insults this time were supposed to hurt. "Just don't make me worry like that again... I need my worthless brother. You're such an ass, idiot, Hachiman!" I smiled a bit at her cute reaction, even if she seemed angry with me, I knew that she was happy to know that I was too worried about her to trust her with my problems. I was an overprotective brother, maybe even a siscon.

Everyone had something they held dear, something they never wanted to lose. That was why I was ready to pretend, hide the truth and lie, in order to protect my sister. If needed, I would even kill someone who dared to hurt Komachi. Anyways, that was too dark and I felt like I was beginning to get trapped inside a horror anime. There was no need to be so radical, at least for now.

* * *

[1] – One of the most used quotes of Kamijou Touma, ' _Fukōda!_ ' – Toaru Majutsu no Index series.

[2] – Isaac and Miria, the charismatic couple of Baccano.

[3] – Reference to the forced relationship between Raku and Chitoge – Nisekoi.

[4] – Reference to Shuu Tsukiyama, the eccentric man of Tokyo Ghoul.

[5] – Reference to Durarara! and the IRL website that is amazingly well done.

[6] – Adaptation of one of my favorite quotes from Mikasa Ackerman, the heroine of Attack on Titan.

[7] – A famous quote of Abraham 'Bram' Stoker, an author who created the Dracula novel.


	6. Blindly walking

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

Today was a shitty day. After being released from the hospital, I just wanted to rest, but in the end, I had to deal with more problems than in my math's test.

Firstly, I was sexually harassed by Haruno Yukinoshita, then I had that meaningless conversation with the great Hayama, who acted really weirdly, perhaps finally showing his true colors.

To completely ruin my day, I had messed up and now my cute sister was mad at me. I had hidden the truth from her and now she was avoiding me.

Finishing up some homework that I had to finish for tomorrow's class, I headed down stairs and was surprised by the sound of the LCD from our living room. I was sure that Komachi was locked on her room, still not wanting to talk with me.

When I entered the room, I almost had a heart attack. I couldn't believe my eyes, in my sofa, there was a lazy teacher that didn't acted like her age, "What the hell are you doing here, woman? Why are you at MY house, eating MY junk food, watching anime on MY television while drinking beer!?" I was seriously pissed off.

"Oh, Hikigaya, sorry for the intrusion. Do you want some?" Still paying attention to the screen in front of her, Hiratsuka kept munching on potato chips while watching a stupid action anime.

"No, thanks. Why are you here and why are you acting so casual?" I tried to calm down my temper.

"Well, I said that I wanted to talk with you, right? But you were studying and Komachi said that she didn't want to talk with you, so I ended up taking a seat and waited for you to notice me."

I sighed in annoyance, this woman wasn't an adult. I still didn't know why she scolded me when she was ten times worse than me.

Picking up the remote to lower the volume, I sat next to her and said, "Okay, so let's just talk so that you can't stop contaminating my beloved house."

She sighed, completely ignoring her initial purpose and looked at me with a bored expression, "You lied to your sister, right? She seemed to be really offended... You always mess up, Hikigaya."

"Tch, I don't want to hear that from you, especially not in these circumstances. Look, let's just be serious about this."

Her expression changed and she looked at me, "Yeah, you're right. Look, I'm going to be direct with you and say what I think. From what you told me it looks like someone was targeting you because they have something against your family."

She had a point, after hearing what they said, while they were beating me and the image that Hayama showed me on his phone were evidence that this people knew exactly what they were doing. It wasn't a random crime.

"It's true that lately there has been a rise in criminal activity in Chiba. There are reports of gangs, young delinquents doing dumb stuff and other criminals that started to pop up to take advantage of the chaos. You should talk with the one in charge of your group and report what happened to the authorities, this is not something that you can take lightly."

"Hmm, that's true..." I said vaguely, not entirely convinced that I should speak with my family about this. I didn't want to create a huge mess. If I could, I would like to solve everything on my own.

"You're not thinking on doing something stupid, right? This time you were lucky to be saved, but if you keep playing this game, you'll end up living in a completely different world." Her words were almost philosophical, she was clearly trying to convey a serious warning through pretty words, but I understood what she meant.

Calmly smiling, I said, "Don't worry, Hiratsuka. I won't do anything too stupid. I'll think about what you said and I'll find an answer, thank you for worrying."

With a shocked look on her face, the woman sighed and got up to leave, "I don't know why, but I can't feel safe after hearing those words, Hikigaya. Just be careful, okay? See you tomorrow." Saying that, she left, with a bitter smile on her face.

I was left sitting on the couch, munching the leftovers of junk food that she left behind, while thinking about this whole situation. I hated dramas, but this action anime on the TV wasn't that bad.

* * *

With the end of Golden Week, the temperatures in Chiba kept rising. During this period of time, students also had too much free time on their hands, which was normally used to create huge commotions and the hot topic of today was me.

Unfortunately for me, I had to return to school and since I couldn't ride my bike and that made me arrive fashionably late to Hiratsuka's class. If the rumors about me weren't enough, I had now became the star of the week, receiving multiples scornful glares as soon as I arrived.

"Who is that guy?" Annoying girl #1 asked out loud, "He's the delinquent from our class." Her bitchy friend answered.

"He looks awful."

"He's really scary, look at his eyes."

"What happened? He's full of bruises."

"Wow! Hikitani took a beating... Bro, like, that's totally not cool." Hmm that annoying voice, that ridiculous hair... That was Tobe, the guy who were ten times a better thug than me without even trying, but since he was friend with the King, he was still treated with respect.

"Yeah, fighting is bad..." One of the less important members of Hayama's group said, what was his name again? Matt? No, he wasn't blonde and handsome like the vocalist of the Teen-age Wolves. **[1]**

"Well, that's what happens to delinquents, right? It's normal." The other useless member of the clique said with a stupid smile. _Who is that kid again?_ I couldn't care less about them, but their amused smiles and stupid comments were infuriating me.

Before I could glare towards them, Hayama said something and they stopped their stupid conversation. He looked at me with a smug smirk and shrugged his shoulders. _Your Highness, I don't need your pity!_ The same could be said towards Yuigahama. She was looking at me like I was anorectic stray cat, dying in the cold streets of Chiba. _Please stop that! Don't you dare pick me up and take me home. I'm a stray, but I still have my dignity._

I really missed the daily _heat_ that I received from my kind classmates. Having people acknowledge your existence was a wonderful thing.

Deciding to ignore the popular kids, I went straight to my seat and ended up facing Totsuka, because her seat was right in front of me. She had a really concerned look on her face and unlike the others, it seemed like she was truly worried, but I had to ignore her. I didn't want to deal with her, especially after that talk with her father.

The tennis player was about to say something, but she was abruptly interrupted by Hiratsuka's loud voice. She started scolding us for the commotion created and in the end said that she wanted to talk with me after this class, perfect she was about to warn me that she wouldn't tolerate my late arrivals. Well, blame it on this useless left arm of mine.

* * *

The morning class ended and after getting scolded by my dear teacher, she gave me another stupid piece of paper that I had to fill. I rushed towards the exit of the classroom, trying to find a place a bit cooler.

I was the ridiculously weak against hot weather and the verbal offenses and weird looks that I was receiving was making my composed personality vanish, stupid noisy brats. Just like a lone wolf, I aimed for a place without human presence. It wasn't as if I felt uncomfortable in class or something like that, I just wanted to be alone with my buttons.

The world was the one who was wrong, not me. My classmates were the ones who failed as human beings, not me. They gathered in herds because they were weak. They made fun of other people because they were insecure about themselves.

They were the fine example of an herbivorous species, they acted as group so that they could sacrifice one of their own when they were attacked by carnivores, like Hayama's clique. They would usually play friends until it became inconvenient for one of the parts.

My goal was to become something strong like a lone wolf. I was still not sure of what I needed to do, but I already had already mastered the lonely routine of this cool animal.

However, I was still weak and useless against those two bastards. I knew that I could barely protect myself if anything like that happened again, but would I be able to protect something important to me? Probably not.

With many unneeded thoughts on my mind, I kept moving my feet towards my destination, the stairs to the roof. Seeing the padlock opened, I immediately thought that this place would be filled with male and female riajuu.

However, it was awfully quiet past the door and it seemed like this time my deduction wasn't on point. The large rooftop provided me the right amount of wind to cool of my previous foul mood. I looked towards the sky and started wondering why I enjoyed the silence so much.

I tried to imagine my future just by staring at the hazy blue sky above me, but so far I had no clear answer of what I wanted so, I decided to seat on the ground and started to fill out a certain paper that I had on hand. Prospective Workplace Tour Survey Form, now this sounded really boring. In my dictionary, working equals to losing. You lose yourself into a daily work routine that would end up being the death of you.

I started writing my twisted opinion about 'work' on that sheet of paper, carefully listing my dream job and respective workplace – I wanted to become a stay-at-home husband and of course that my workplace would be my comfy house. I was struggling to write properly because I couldn't hold down the paper with my left hand and suddenly, when I carelessly let go of the piece of paper, the wind blew. My dreams and that stupid piece of paper were taken away from me and just like a paper airplane, my sheet happily took off to _Narnia_.

Stopping my mental dramas, I tried to grasp the paper, but as if it was teasing me, my dreams kept flying away, higher and higher, and I finally noticed that it was something that wasn't doable. The paper was gone, "Screw you wind!" I shouted in anger, giving up on that piece of paper.

Shrugging away my problems and starting to walk away, I was stopped by a feminine voice, "Is this yours?"

I froze in surprise, I thought that I was alone. Deciding to ignore the husky and apathetic voice, I said, "Throw it away, I don't care anymore."

"Where are you goin'? Is this how you deal with problems?" The voice laughed with scorn from above. I looked up towards the ladder that reached up to the water tower and I ended up staring a familiar character.

She was the girl who saved me. She was leaning against the water tower while playing with a lighter in her hand, which she swiftly tucked away when she met my scornful smirk. Trying to scold me while showing her own weaknesses, too naive.

Her long and pale blue hair fell all the way down to her back and the unnecessary parts of her uniform were loosened up, showing some of her most feminine attributes. Her long, sharp legs looked like she was person with fighting experience, but what captivated me the most was the look on her eyes.

Unlike the first time we met, her eyes today looked ambitionless instead of the previous enraged gaze that I received in the hospital. She had bags under her eyes which made her look really tired. Nevertheless, I thought that she was appealing, perhaps because she saved me or maybe I just had a thing for older-looking girls.

Without saying a word, she swiftly climbed down the ladder, but then, the wind blew. This time, the weather was in my favor and I burned the image of a single line of fabric that led towards heaven.

In another words, I saw her panties. _Good job wind!_ "Huh, black lace... It suits you." Crap, I just said what I was thinking out loud.

The girl let down of the ladder and took some time to turn around and I noticed her ears becoming red in embarrassment, "I-I'm s-sorry! It wasn't on purpose." Wow, I was the best liar. This was the perfect excuse, no doubt, especially after declaring my perverted thoughts.

I was expecting to get kicked or punched in some painful areas, but to my surprise, when she turned around, she had a composed look on her face and handed the paper to me, "... Are you a moron or just a pervert?" She said curtly. As soon as she finished her verbal attack, which was justified, she turned around and entered the school building.

I was left there alone, with a lot to talk with her. I wanted to say 'thanks', talk with her about the accident, ask her why she took care of my sister and why she went so far because of me. Anyways, the bell signaling the end of the break rang out from the speakers and I went back to my classroom in a mixture of satisfaction and deep confusion.

* * *

Sometime after delivering my paper sheet, Hiratsuka called me to the staff room and I knew that I was about to get scolded again. This was the second time today, a personal record in a space-time of two lessons.

My teacher was sitting in front of me, hitting the floor angrily with her stiletto heel. I was mesmerized by her pair of supple legs, which were hidden in the tight suit and pants that covered them. At this point I realized that I was becoming a major pervert, one that loved women with long legs.

Even though her age was a mystery, she was still a gorgeous woman, even if she was the most aggressive specimen that I had ever met. Too bad that her suit removed part of her feminine appeal. I couldn't deny that her vest adorned perfectly her curves.

I was abruptly pulled back to reality when I noticed her frightening expression, "Hikigaya, you know why I called you right?"

I knew the reason, but her intimidating gaze took away my answer. Now I was sure that in the past she had been a real delinquent girl, totally not a fake one like me.

She continued chewing on her tobacco filter and started cracking her knuckles, "I don't know what to do with you anymore... Maybe you'll learn through violence, huh?"

"Sorry for testing your patience again, sensei. I'll rewrite the damned thing."

My straightforward answer only made her angrier, "You know what, I was about to tell you to rewrite it, but since you aren't showing any type of remorse, I'll let you do as you please. Yeah, I'll let you have what you want."

 _Wait, what did you say?_ She was smirking in a devilish way, the same way that Haruno Yukinoshita looked at me while playing with my maiden heart.

"Ehh!? Weren't you going to beat me up to help me understand that I was wrong through the pain of losing?" _Please just punch me once and we'll move on with the story._ That was what I thought to myself. Her smug expression meant trouble for me.

"Well, I wouldn't be a decent teacher if I hit an incapacitated student, right?" She was denying a free chance to hit me.

"No, no, no! It doesn't matter if the student is already hurt or not. This isn't a samurai show where the rivals will delay the battle because they want to fight at full strength. Hitting a student is wrong and you're lucky to still be able to teach, gorilla woman."

Slowly raising her hand, she made a V sign while smirking, "Two times, Hikigaya." Her previous smirking expression was gone and now she was back to her aggressive mode, "I'll punch two times as soon as you get better. The first one is because you volunteered to a punch as your punishment and the other will be for calling me a gorilla. I might be beautiful and resemble Otae, but as far as I know I'm still not one of the 4 Devas of Kabuki District." **[2]**

"Beautiful? Perhaps, but I think that your monstrous strength would allow you to be considered one of the four bosses of Chiba. Perhaps one day you might even find your own stalker." **[3]** She nodded in agreement with my stupid argument and somehow we were immersed in a banter, mainly focused on shounen references.

Adjusting herself in her seat and letting out a playful chuckle, I reached one conclusion about this woman: she was an idiot, but still a beautiful person on the inside. She was lonely, just like me.

"Anyways, I'll let you have what you want, Hikigaya. I allow your group to visit your house, if that's what you really want."

I couldn't contain a smile after hearing her words. I felt the urge to celebrate knowing that for once, I had won a battle against Hiratsuka. _But why am I feeling awkward about this? Why is she grinning madly?_

"However, I'm not talking about your comfy and luxurious apartment... No, you'll visit your _family's_ house."

I gulped after hearing her statement. I knew what she pretended to do with this action. She wanted me to solve the conflicts with my family. I could also sense that somehow she wanted to humiliate me by having to show my weak side to my future group.

"No, let me rewrite it, please! Anything but that..." I almost begged for mercy, I was even considering on kneeling and licking her feet - in an erotic way.

She puffed out smoke from her cigarette and glared at me, "Sorry, but you'll have to start learning from your stupid actions, Hikigaya. That shitty answer of yours was just another way of you showing how twisted you are. I thought that you were making progress, I even allowed you to spend less time in the Service Club, but you're not making any progress."

"Uh, I-I'm trying, okay? I can't change just because you feel like I am wrong. 'You can't run away' is an ideal for the strong. You're not always wrong. Society, the world and the people around you - often someone else is in the wrong. To think that you can change is adapting to this cruel, indifferent, trashy world. It's admitting defeat and servility. You're simply deceiving yourself by dressing it up with pretty words. I don't want to be forced to accept stuff that I don't agree with… I don't want to take forced decisions and become just another marionette like those other kids out there that live happily and carelessly, without knowing the truth of things."

She let out another puff of smoke as she looked towards me with a kind smile, "I understand what you're saying... But you're almost an adult and you'll have to learn to accept society, even if you don't agree with it… I'm not saying that you should change, I'm saying that you should learn to accept things as they are and adjust to them as a proper adult. You can't run away from your problems forever, Hikigaya. You haven't improved much since the first time we talked, but I want you to become a good person, I see much potential in you."

I looked at my feet with shame, this woman always managed to deliver emotional speeches that would make me stop bitching about my problems. I felt almost as if she understood exactly what I was going through.

"Geez..." She said with a sigh, "Anyway, sorry but you'll have to do as I say this time. Oh, you can also start counting all the survey forms as a penalty for hurting my feelings multiple time, rude brat."

"This is stupid... Why am I stuck doing a stupid 'workplace tour' at this time of the year? Doing these odd jobs is sucking up my time before the tests too." I couldn't help but whine to myself as I started counting the damned surveys in my hand.

"It's because we're reaching the time where you'll be picking your third-year course right after summer break. If you paid more attention to lessons maybe you'd be more informed." She was right, I spend most of the time reading my novels or daydreaming.

"If our school wants to prepare people who want to attend university, will they allow my group to simply visit my house? We are supposed to visit the workplace that allows to determine our future courses, so why wasting time in this ridiculous activity?" I still wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the previous events, I didn't want my stupid classmates to learn about the truth behind Hachiman Hikigaya. I had built a reputation of a delinquent to keep everyone away from me, but if people learnt that I was actually part of a shady group, I wouldn't be able to keep my façade.

My family was one of my weakest points. I couldn't care less if people looked at me weirdly, if they talked shit behind my back because I was a weird person, but it was a different thing if they started talking badly about my family. Even if I pretended that I didn't care about them, they were still my blood and I had this normal instinct of wanting to protect them. _I'm a real tsundere..._ But it was exactly as people said, you couldn't choose your family and deep down, I accepted them for who they were – even if I wanted to keep my distance.

"You're always coming up with good-for-nothing arguments... You still don't know if you'll choose between the science and the humanities division, right? However, you know that you'll become the heir of your grandfather's fortune and property, so visiting your house is the right thing to do. Once you reach adulthood, you'll be the one facing the responsibilities of dealing with the jobs of thousands of employees. You need to solve the problems with your family and reach a conclusion about your future." I stayed in silence, not wanting to face the harsh reality that my future would become. In fact, my life was already a mess.

Sighing, Hiratsuka continued, "I'm not saying that you should silently accept what people forced onto you. I'm just trying to teach you that you can't run away from your problems. 'You can't deny something until you try', this applies perfectly to your situation... You're free to make your own choices, if you make them in a responsible way."

Her words were sharp as a knife. She cut exactly where it hurts, I didn't want to face my problems, I was too afraid to make any type of decision that would end up destroying my false sense of happiness. I was fine, for now, leaving alone and avoiding any type of complicated feelings.

Before I could answer something stupid, a smooth voice interrupted me, "I finally found you, Hikigaya."

The owner of the voice was smiling towards me with relief on her face. The silver haired beauty, Saika Totsuka, who I had been avoiding the all day, finally decided to face me directly. She was bolder than I thought.

"Totsuka? Sorry, but I'm borrowing Hikigaya from you."

Waving her hand in panic, Totsuka said, "N-No, it's okay. I just wanted to talk with Hikigaya and maybe have lunch together. I was worried about him."

I avoided her gaze and scoffed in a rude manner, "Is that all? I'm sorry, but I can't, as you can see I'm busy. I told you before, I don't want to play friends with you." I was a little bit too harsh, but it was for the best. I didn't know the motives behind her kindness, but I didn't want a fake relationship just because of a stupid promise between our families.

She lowered her head in sadness and sighed, "I see... You still can't trust me. I just wanted to know if you were alright, you look like you went through hell and everyone was making fun of you and I hate it! You're not a bad person, I don't know what happened, but you are not a person who would do bad things for fun, right?"

Her eyes were shining with hope and something else that I couldn't distinguish, I had to stop this and crush the image that she had of me, so with a sadistic smile, I said, "Ehh!? I'm a good person, that's new. You know Totsuka, I love trouble and yes I fight with others because I enjoy it, I love to beat up scum that looks down on me. Don't try to act nice towards me, I don't need your pity! I'm the bad guy and you should just accept it and leave me alone... "

"I still don't understand you, Hikigaya! Why are you lying? I can see that you're hurting, I saw your reaction to the insults and I can't accept this. I-I'm sorry if I'm being a bother." With that, Totsuka left the staff room in a hurry with tears in her eyes.

Hiratsuka that had been silent during our conversation, now had a disappointed look in her face and sighed, "You're terrible and a cruel idiot! Totsuka is a good girl and I can tell that she was truly worried about you… If you keep acting like that, you'll end up dying alone."

I laughed dryly, "That suits me perfectly. I'm alone by choice and I don't want her to get involved with me. I'm done counting the surveys and there are three people that haven't delivered their sheet." I picked up my school bag and headed towards the exit.

"You're incorrigible, Hikigaya. I pity you... Anyways, choose two members to your group. If you don't want people to judge you and learn the truth about Hachiman, you need to choose the right partners, two people that will accept your true colors."

I was beginning to get angry, Hiratsuka's meddling was getting out of hand and I really wanted to stop her smirk. I wish I could just remove my belt and punish my teacher for being too nosy. It would be the perfect AV scenario, but I had to put a stop to my sadistic fantasies before I did something that I would regret. Anyways, I was tired of this, kindness, pity, love, courage, friends, responsibilities – even the ball – I had no need of them. **[4]**

* * *

The midterms were closing in, but my body was already tired of studying so much. I just wanted to complete this phase and put aside my books. I really need my summer vacation.

Lately, I had been really unfocused and that was because I couldn't stop thinking about the warning that Hiratsuka gave me, weeks ago.

 _'Chiba is becoming a dangerous place'_ , those were the words that kept ringing in my ears, but I wasn't afraid of this change, in fact I was extremely curious. Lately, whenever I could, I decided to take small strolls through the city to try and understand what my teacher meant with those words.

As a guy who loved his city, I could see the differences clearly. The panic in everyone's eyes was justified, Chiba was indeed different. The fear kept spreading through the city as the criminal activities kept rising and in my opinion, the exaggerated social media and the passive attitude of Chiba's police force were also responsible for this mess.

Everyone was useless and delinquents took the opportunity to create more panic by acting as a pack, bullying the weak. This was now a normal routine in Chiba, the city that once was a peaceful place to live. The popular hangouts of the younger kids were now filled with thugs and I could see why this situation was so serious, everyone could be a suspect, even school kids. Crimes started happening on a daily basis. I still was not sure how this started, but I was sure that those two knew something about what was happening and that was why I was looking for clues.

Well, when I looked in the mirror I could totally imagine people say that I was one of those shady characters that had been terrorizing our city. However, I wasn't the type of guy who would enjoy seeing others suffer without a reason. That made me sound horrible, but I was smart enough to avoid any type of criminal activities, but that wasn't the point.

Since the _'accident'_ happened, I had been filled with rage and I felt like I wanted revenge. I wanted to catch those two guys, I wanted to hurt them… But I wasn't stupid, I knew that I couldn't fight them, at least not now, I was weak. However, I still needed to figure out the big picture and lately, that led me to walk around town while keeping an open eye to suspicious activities.

I decided to take a break at a local coffee shop, in order to regain my train of thought. I was starting to get obsessed by everything that happened and my head was a mess.

I ordered a drink that was very similar to my beloved Max coffee. Looking for a vacant table, my eyes ended facing a familiar face. It was the blue haired delinquent that saved my life, but what was her name again? _Toyota?_ No that wasn't it. Maybe it was Honda, yeah that name suited perfectly. Just like a certain policewoman, my female classmate had a mature aura that demanded respect and her curvaceous figure was impeccable. **[5]**

Just before losing myself to my perverted thoughts, her purple eyes pierced my soul with a cold look. I froze and didn't know how to react. With her usual bored expression, she nodded at me signaling something. _Is she saying hello or telling me to join her?_

Crap, my lack of social skills were evident in this type of situations and I felt like I was trapped in a cliché romance event. Not sure about what to do I tried to identify my options:

A) Acknowledge her presence and simply nod back.

B) Avert my eyes and ignore her.

C) Be bold and join her table.

Since lately I had been acting strangely out of character, I knew what I had to do. My feet started moving and I took a seat in front of her.

"Uh, yo." I said awkwardly, regretting my bold move.

Kawasaki had a pen on her hand and she was focused on her book, taking notes occasionally. I recognized that she was studying English, something that I had the done previous day.

Without looking at me, she said curtly, "So, what do you want?"

I gulped in anticipation, not fully understanding the meaning of her question, "Er, why are you assuming that I wanted something from you? I simply wanted to enjoy my drink in the company of my classmate." Why was I saying something stupid like this?

She sighed in an annoyed manner and finally looking at me, she said "That's bull... You seemed like you had something to say to me, so let's cut the crap."

Hearing her cold rebuke almost made me choke on my drink, her social skills were just as bad as mine, but I liked her style, "I wanted to ask you something about what happened that day..." I said vaguely.

She stood in silence, staring at her book, so I continued, "How and why did you save me? Did you manage to identify those two who attack me? And, why did you did so much for me? You took care of my sister and lied for me... You stood all afternoon looking out for me, I-I just don't understand why you would do so much for a stranger like me."

She clicked her tongue and looked at me, "So many questions, you're a nuisance... I saved you because it was the right thing to do, it's not like I'm against fighting, but those two were torturing you. To be honest, I was reckless when I decided to attack those two guys, one of them was armed and the other was a large guy, but luckily for me, they were too interested in claiming their war trophies-"

"What do you mean?" I interrupted her, not being able to control my curiosity.

She made an angry expression and said, "Will you let me finish it?" Damn, she was scary. I nodded and she continued, "They were dragging your body around, takin' pictures of you... Since I know a bit of self-defense, I acted on instinct and picked up a metal trash can lid and smashed it into the bigger guy's face, stunning him. The smaller guy had his phone on his hand, so removing his bat was easy and being caught by surprise, they simply decided to run away… I couldn't identify them."

I was speechless, she was incredible just as I thought. She was scary, but not as a delinquent. She seemed like the type of mature woman that you wouldn't want to anger. She was the type of character that would sit at the counter of a bar, smoking and holding her drink in one hand. I was seriously starting to worship her.

Not wanting to mess up again, I let her continue, "After the huge amount of emails that your sister sent you, I ended up calling back her number and told her a little bit about what happened. As an older sister, I felt bad for her and I started chatting with her for some time, trying to calm her down. Seeing that it wasn't working, I decided to invite her for dinner at our house, because apparently our siblings were friends and that made everything less awkward. Don't get me wrong, I didn't do this for you. I only waited for you to wake up because your sister insisted and I couldn't say no to her. But at the same time, what would you do in my situation? Would you leave me bleeding on the ground? Would you ignore my desperate siblings? As I said, it was the right thing to do."

I was still trying to make sense of everything she said, but she was right, "Yeah, I'm not brave like you, but I'd probably do the same. Look, thanks for what you've done."

She looked outside with a vacant look on her eyes and said, "Have you talked with your sister? What happened to you was so serious that I decided to lie in order to protect her, but I think that she saw through it."

I sighed remembering that this topic was haunting me. Komachi was still mad with me because I still hadn't told her the truth. I was a terrible person, "No, I only told her that I'd talk to her once I was ready to share my problems."

She looked at me with a disappointed expression and said, "Well, it's indeed your problem, but she deserves to know the truth, just like the rest of your family."

"Yeah, right... How should I thank you? I don't want to be indebted to you."

She laughed sarcastically and said, "Don't be stupid, I didn't save you because I wanted some type of compensation... You owe me nothing, I did everything on my free will. You should forget what happened and move on. You have this strange look like you're seeking revenge or something and that's not good, you might end up getting killed..."

 _How can you see through me so easily?_ _Is it that obvious that I was starting to fall on the wrong path?_

Laughing dryly, I said, "Yeah, don't worry, I know what I'm doing." And saying that, I decided to leave the coffee shop before this conversation became even more serious. It was like she knew my intentions from the moment she looked at me. I was becoming sloppy, perhaps it was the effect of drinking too much caffeine or maybe it was this uncontrollable desire for revenge that was blinding me.

* * *

[1] – Reference to Yamato 'Matt' Ishida from the Digimon Adventure series.

[2] and [3] – Reference to Shimura Tae and Kondou Isao from Gintama – mainly because Hiratsuka, in my opinion, is very similar to Otae.

[4] – Tsubasa Ozora's motto: "The ball is my friend"- Captain Tsubasa series.

[5] – Reference to Honda, the personal attendant of Marika Tachibana in Nisekoi.


	7. A lot of nuisances

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

Stressful days of studying passed and I was now trying to enjoy my break time in a somewhat noisy classroom. Everyone, except me, was chatting happily with their friends and somehow I had the feeling that this whole situation was something like a foreign language to me.

Unfortunately, due to what happened _that_ day, I had become very aware of my surroundings and it became very hard for me to ignore this demonstration of friendship. Everyone was entertained talking about random stuff, but the most discussed topic was that stupid Workplace tour.

With all the stress from studying and with my new interest in observing Chiba, I had totally forgot that I had to go through the humiliation that Hiratsuka had prepared for me.

"Where are you going?"

"Who are you going with?"

Those were the phrases that were already marked in my soul. The drama of choosing the groups and their workplace was killing me. I was in a horrible situation and these idiots were just making a big scene because the groups consisted of three people. As if that would be a problem, idiots.

They could all choose the same workplace and that would solve their problems. However, my own problems weren't that easy to solve. Hiratsuka told me to pick two people, but whom would I pick? I hated everyone in this class and I didn't feel like showing them my most embarrassing side. The origins of Hachiman - it was the perfect name for a movie about the dramatic story of my life.

I could choose Kawasaki, but I doubt that she would accept it. She had already covered up the truth for me once, so, would she do it again? _Probably not._ She thought that I was a nuisance and idiot, as she called me many times. Even though we were in the same class, ever since we met at the coffee shop some days ago, we hadn't talked ever since.

To be honest, I was avoiding her. I didn't know why, but she was a scary person. She wasn't a bitch like Yukino and she wasn't a devil like Haruno, but she was certainly something else, perhaps a psychic. Her cold and uncaring eyes were able to judge me just from small reactions.

Yuigahama was out of the question. She was a nice girl and I truly hated her type. Yes, we technically were on the same club, but I didn't want to meddle with her. She was one of those girls that I couldn't understand. She seemed to despise me like the others, but at the same time she tried really hard to be nice to me. When I returned to school looking like shit, she even sent me emails asking me about how I was doing and she kept insisting that I should visit the club sometime.

A really nice girl and that was why I hated her. Well, I didn't need her pity and I didn't need anything in return from her - maybe some service, but that was just me being a pervert.

Maybe this was how Kawa-something felt when I told her that I wanted to repay what she did. Even though I wanted nothing from Yuigahama, I couldn't ignore the fact that my delinquent classmate saved my life and helped me cover up some things. She didn't save my dog, she saved my life, which would maybe have the same value as a canine's life, but my stubborn mind couldn't forget this easily. Using her own words, it would be the right thing to do, I wanted to show her my gratitude somehow.

I kept getting into pathetic situations because of my stupid actions or decisions. Sometimes I wonder if everything could have been different if I had decided to act differently when the rumors started. It was true that I didn't try to stop the situation, I guess that I was too shocked to notice that I no matter what, I would always trash to everyone else – these snake-like eyes really made me look totally shady. Anyways, there was nothing that I could do now.

Unfortunately, school was one of the cruelest places in the world. School wasn't just a place where you took classes. School was the natural habitat populated by every time of human being on this earth. And so, high school students would always try to mark their territory, through puny disputes in the form of bullying and just like any stratified society, high school also had a social hierarchy.

Of course that the amount of friends and contacts that one had was also an important factor in a successful teenage life. All these reasons would clearly make me the weakest and most repugnant being at school and that was why I decided to use intimidation to create some sort of respect. I was still hated, people sometimes would speak badly of me, but they wouldn't even dare to approach me.

With my head resting on my table, I kept a keen eye on the behavior of my classmates - they were all scum, these riajuu bastards trying to live a happy life without even caring about the truth behind their meaningless existence.

I noticed that lately I had become a little bit dark and my thoughts would always end up making me want to punch someone in the face. I was still really angry about what happened, the humiliation, the fear and the pain that I suffered from that beating was still haunting me, but I refused to move on.

Suddenly, my line of thought broke, when a soft voice spoke, "Hello, Hikigaya." Her small pair of hands shook me gently and she sat in front of me.

I grunted in response, trying to scare her away, but this little thing was brave and very persistent, "Huh- I'm sorry if I'm getting in your way... I just wanted to talk with you and say hello."

When I finally looked at her directly, she flinched in a nervous expression, but with a nervous smile, she held my gaze with a cute expression, "Tch, are you still trying to become my friend? I told you, I have no need for friendship... I could accept a slave though, if you are interested we can hold a contract that makes you deal with me for four-to-six hours a day, so what do you think?"

Hearing my stupid and perverted proposal, Totsuka laughed cutely, putting her hand over her mouth, "You say some funny things, Hikigaya. And if that's what I need to do to become your friend, I would gladly spend that time with you."

 _Someone help me, please!_ This reverse trap can't be this cute. **[1]** I couldn't understand her reaction, she was supposed to be disgusted by what I said, intimidated, not happy. _Why isn't she trying to avoid me? I am treating her badly, so why?_ Her kindness and cuteness was starting to melt my cold heart and I just wanted to abduct her and take her home with me.

"So, what do you want?" I said, trying to remain composed.

She looked at me nervously and said, "Hikigaya, have you decided where you're going for the Workplace tour?"

I sighed in annoyance, remembering one of the motives behind my foul mood, "I'm going to hell. I'm going back to where I belong... Well, what will be, will be." I confessed part of my problems to this cute tennis player.

She tilted her head in confusion and chuckled softly, "Hmm, sometimes you say some intense and really sad stuff..."Her sad and worried expression was making my affection levels for her raise. I was afraid of how easy it was for me to forget my tough façade when confronted with her pureness.

I stood in silence, not wanting to mess up, so she decided to insist the matter, "So, you've already decided your group members, huh?"

Her eyes looked sad, but at the same time they had a small glint of hope. I could sense the hidden meaning behind her seemingly innocent curiosity. She wanted to come with me.

This made me freeze in anticipation and I somehow felt like I was about to misinterpret her vague words. I was about to reach a point where I had to make a decision: kill or get killed.

"What about you? Have you decided your group?" At the same time, I started wondering if I could use her gentle side to my advantage.

She was confused with my sudden curiosity and blushing, she said, "M-Me.. I-I've already decided!" She averted my gaze and started to glance at me sideways, clearly wanting to see my reaction.

Once again, my keen instincts told me that she was clearly inviting me to be part of her group, so I said bitterly, "Well, that's normal for you... You're popular after all. I don't have or need any friends, so it'll be a pain to form a group."

Her reacting was just as expected, she seemed offended and I was expecting her to retort something like: 'I'm your friend' or preferably 'I want to become your pet', but that would a perfect scenario for a perverted bastard like me and I wasn't lucky enough to get the good endings.

Suddenly, the King's clique started making a huge noise, trying to learn more about the plans of the wonderful Hayama. The conversation between Tobe and Hayama was disgusting. They were talking to each other without a care in the world. They were treating each other with their first names, as if this would show how close they were. They were fakes, every single member of that little group.

I was disgusted by their act of 'friendship' and I felt like I needed to let out some anger, "Saika." I called out her first name, wanting to experiment if this lame trick would really change my relationship with a certain person.

Hearing her first name being called out, Totsuka froze and said nothing. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in shock. I was right, this changed nothing and the riajuu pigs were just overreacting.

Suddenly, before I could apologize for my mistake, Totsuka spoke, "...I'm really happy. It's the first time you've called me by my first name." _Wait, what?_

I was confused at her delayed reaction. Her smile and her eyes showed some type of deep emotion, "So, can I call you Hikki?" She asked boldly.

"Don't call me that." That stupid nickname that Yuigahama gave me made me feel sick.

Looking disappointed, she tried again, "Uh... What about Hachiman?"

...

I sighed in annoyance. I couldn't deny that it felt good to be called by my first name and maybe, just maybe, I was really envious of those riajuu that had their first name called by cute girls.

"Whatever, suit yourself."

She puffed out her cheeks, feigning some sadness and then smiled at me and thankfully, the bell rang and I was saved from being captured by Totsuka. Watch out, Ash Ketchum! I sense that there was a new master in town and this one was about to catch them all: females and males included. **[2]**

* * *

I wanted some peace, but that was seemingly impossible. I was enjoying my break time when my stupid phone started vibrating, due to the huge amount of emails received in a short period of time. This phenomenon was called spam, kids be aware.

Yuigahama sent me a bunch of emails, trying to warn me that the club had received a visit from my weird 'friend'. I knew that she was talking about Zaimokuza and that was why I ignored her. He probably wanted to request some help from us, but I didn't want to deal with it.

Sometime passed and I received a bunch of calls from an unknown number and I figured that somehow, my club mate had given my personal contact to an annoying character without my authorization. Taking a deep breath, I accepted his call and we agreed to meet outside of my classroom.

When he saw me, he made a dramatic pose, "Ohhh... We meet again, partner. The path to glory awaits me. I'm on the road to El Dorado!" Finishing his stupid monologue, he started laughing like a maniac - he was beyond salvation.

I turned around and started to walk away, this was a waste of time. "Wait, don't be so cruel! Please, listen to my request." He pleaded.

I sighed and decided to listen to him, "So, what do you want?"

"I'm sorry for my previous enthusiasm, but as a writer who seeks inspiration, I couldn't control my enthusiasm. Hachiman, listen and be amazed! I have decided to venture forth to a publisher for my workplace tour! In other words, you get it, right?"

"Let me guess... You want to present one of your works to a publisher and see how it goes, right?" Somehow I tried to understand his weird phrasing.

He nodded furiously and slapped me in the back, "As expected from my editor! I didn't want to be a bother, but I want you to give me your feedback on my work. It doesn't matter if you say good or bad things. As a writer, I live to receive feedback from my fans and for that reason, Hachiman, I need you to help me realize my dream."

A sighed again, but this time I wasn't annoyed anymore. In fact, I probably was a bit shocked to see him so dedicated to this hobby. "Okay, I'll read your story. Hand me the draft once you finish it and please, don't spam my phone again."

He laughed and gave me a thumbs up, "Hahaha! Sorry for that, it was a situation of life or death. Anyways, thank you."

I was about to walk away and end the conversation when I remembered something, "Hey, Zaimokuza, are you familiar with the Dollars' site?"

He gave me a weird look and answered, "Of course, I know about it, Hachiman. Don't you dare offend my otaku knowledge, I'm a big fan of the series."

"Yeah, right, but I don't want to discuss our opinions on the series. I was curious to know if you could help me with something." Finishing my sentence and trying to set a serious mood, I showed him the print screen that Hayama had showed me some time ago.

He took the phone of my hand and read the messages with a serious expression, I decided to break the ice, "Since you probably have more experience than me in this type of human interaction sites, I wanted to know if you could help me find out more about those weird people that are randomly appearing online, throwing threats and causing a big confusion everywhere."

He stood in silence and then looked at me as if he understood the meaning behind what happened to me, I raised my hand in a defensive way, not wanting to explain the full details of my request.

He nodded and said, "We can serve as bait to make these people reveal themselves. It seems dangerous, though. This people seem to be serious about wanting to hurt others." Saying that he gave me a look that conveyed a deeper message. He wanted to warn me to stop this, but I was already too involved and I couldn't stop now.

"Let's do it then. We can create a chat room like this one and somehow start talking about this. We might end up figuring something out."

Before Zaimokuza could respond, someone approached us and we stopped talking about this sensible topic. Looking around, I met the gaze of a certain person, which always managed to ruin my day. It was none other than Hayato Hayama.

Smiling politely, he walked towards us and said with a cool voice, "Sorry for interrupting, Zaimokuza. You too, Hikitani."

HIs words made it look like the two of us were the ones who were on his way and in an awkward way, Zaimokuza said, "Uhh, I better get going now... H-Hachiman, we'll talk later!"

I understood Zaimokuza's reaction perfectly. The popular kids always had this strange effect of superiority that would make the outcasts feeling even more pathetic.

I tried to ignore his presence and leave, but he grabbed my shoulder and said, "Wait, I wanted to talk about you about something Hikitani. I think that you might be able to help me."

I sighed in annoyance, feeling that I really wanted to slap away his hand and shove him away. I decided not to do something brash, I needed to gain a better control of my anger. From inside the classroom, I could sense many eyes on us through the windows. I was sure that I even heard a girl screaming hysterically, followed with a big thump. _What the hell is happening?_

I decided to stay and listen to his problems. I couldn't deny it, I was very curious. Hayama, the perfect guy, was asking for my help. I wanted to know about his problems, I mean, the popular and well-loved Hayama was asking me for his help. This was a highly improbable event. It was rare like having the Hero making an alliance with the Demon King in order to stop a war. **[3]**

"What do you want?" I said irately, this guy was everything that I wasn't and for that reason and many others, I hated him.

Taking out his phone, which gave me a sense of déjà vu, he pressed a couple of buttons and then showed me a particular text message. While I read the said message, he explained that me that he asked my club for help, but they couldn't find a good solution. According to his words, the methods proposed by my club mates weren't efficient and that was why he was here.

He gave me a short explanation about his problem. Apparently, there was a mysterious chain message circulating in our class, implicating that Tobe, Yamato and Ooka were delinquents. I couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl. It felt good to see these popular bastards be the target of scorn.

"In the Service club, we already realized that this problem is connected to the upcoming Workplace visit." He said vaguely, clearly feeling guilty not wanting to talk badly about his peers.

"So, the groups are composed of three people and since there's one extra, someone is starting rumors to get a person knocked out from your clique." I hoped that my detective skills were with me, I didn't want to look lame in front of the King.

He smiled bitterly, but nodded in agreement, "That's exactly what's happening, Hikitani. You see, I'm mad because people are talking badly about my friends and I wanted to find a solution to this problem. I don't want to know who started it, I just want it to stop."

I wouldn't lie, I wasn't the best person to solve this mystery, I mean, I barely knew something about those three clowns. Tobe was the noisy guy, the big dude seemed to be indecisive and slow, a person who could easily be influenced by others. Then there was the other guy with the creepy smile, I couldn't say much about him, but he seemed to be an opportunist that used Hayama for fame.

"Tch, you are really retarded, Hayama. Were you born yesterday or something? It's obvious that your judgment is clouded by your friendly act. People aren't as nice as you think and that includes those three."

Hayama's gentle smile was gone and he was now biting his lip, trying to contain his anger. He was more naive than I thought, he was really trying to be a good guy, avoiding conflict and negative thoughts at all costs.

Thankfully one of my special 108 skills was finding the faults in people and lately I had been upgrading my observation capabilities. For that reason, this case wasn't that difficult to solve.

Their clique were all a group of performers and the director and audience of that play was Hayama. Whenever he wasn't present, I always noticed how silent the classroom - I really appreciated those moments. As soon as Hayama left the scene, those three would always act as if the others didn't exist. There wasn't a reason for them to keep their act if the one that they wanted to please wasn't there.

Sighing in annoyance, I said, "Your group exists for your sake."

He tried to say something, but interrupted him with my hand. His lack of self-awareness was unbelievable. Maybe he just didn't want to face the truth.

"Have you noticed how those three act when you're not around?" He nodded negatively and I continued, "Those three act as your 'friends', but when they are alone they are nothing but mere acquaintances."

Hayama had a shocked expression on his face and he went quiet for some time, reflecting on my words. "Those three are like employees of a multinational company and they are on a constant fight to see who gains the promotion faster. By this I mean that those three stupidly seek your attention, and they are willing to do anything in order to get the more attention from the boss."

My example was perfect, I felt like I explained exactly one of the big problems in our society. Everyone wants power, fame and they would do anything to get it.

"Unlike Yukinoshita suggested, you don't need to find out who the suspect is. If they are fighting to get your attention, removing the root cause, they'll be forced to form a group without you and hopefully, they'll bond or whatever you guys call it."

Hayama, the Hero who lost his way, nodded his head, agreeing with the devil's plan and looking at me with a flashy smile, he said, "That might work... Thank you for your help. I think that I'm starting to understand why Haruno speaks highly of you, Hikigaya."

Suddenly, someone opened the door of our classroom in a rude way and we were interrupted by a rude female, "Hayato? I was looking for you... Didn't you read my emails?"

Hayama seemed somewhat guilty and had a cheeky smile on his face, "I'm sorry, I was talking with Hikitani and didn't check the phone. Come, join me for lunch, Yumiko." Saying that, Hayama left and waved at me without looking back. This was the perfect crime. Hayama had just lied to his 'friend', but somehow, she still looked happy with how the situation turned out.

" _Robin Hood is that you? How amazing, so cool! Even though you lied to me, I'll forget your crimes."_ That was how I interpreted her dreamy expected, Hayama was a twisted bastard that could turn any type of shitty situation into his advantage.

The girl in question had a huge smile and a small blush on her face after hearing those words, but when she faced me, her expression changed and now she was glaring at me with hostility, "What were you two talking about?"

Unconsciously raising one eyebrow, I said in disdain, "It doesn't concern you."

I saw her hand become a fist as she gripped her skirt in anger, "You are an ass. You better not contaminate Hayato, he's a nice guy unlike you." I laughed bitterly saying nothing, I couldn't deny that fact, but her stupid argument was funny somehow.

She passed in front of me, almost shoving me away, but then stopped and said, "Are you okay? You look like shit and I bet that you're about to do something dumb, _again_... You're not the hero, Hikio. Oh and don't forget about that bet, I lost after all." Saying those words that conveyed a message that I couldn't decipher, she left in a hurry after her crush. She was a weird woman.

* * *

The next day came and my plan was an amazing success. As planned, removing Hayama out of the picture, made his three buddies acknowledge each other and they ended up forming a group without their beloved leader.

I looked at the blackboard and I noticed that my options for groups' members were running out. Almost everyone and their dogs had already decided where to go and with whom.

Who would I choose? My evil teacher really won this time. My defiance towards her only worsened my situation. She was right, I already had learnt a good lesson.

Suddenly, an angel stood in front of me, with a graceful smile, "Good morning, Hachiman."

"Yo." I greeted coldly, turning around my head, clearly trying to show that I had no interest in talking with her.

Normally, if I treated someone coldly, they would stop bothering me immediately, but this girl was something else. Despite looking innocent and quite fragile, she had guts - real balls that would put many guys to shame. She kept trying to make small talk with me every day and my façade was growing weaker each day.

She didn't feel threatened or afraid of me. She wasn't disgusted by my looks or my reputation and no matter what I did, she would always come back with an adorable smile as if saying: _"I'll accept you for who you are."_

"Uh, a-about the group for the Workplace tour..." Her voice was hesitant and then she stopped talking. Definitively an awkward silence... I sighed, it was a pity if she had already formed her group. She could have been useful. Her kindness would probably make her ignore the truth behind the Gaya-group.

Before she or I could say anything, a sudden voice joined our conversation, "Can I sit here?"

I ignored his presence and Totsuka was too embarrassed to talk and looked at me as if she was waiting for my permission. She was really cute. The blonde ended up sitting in the empty chair next to the tennis player.

"Thanks man, it looked like everything worked out perfectly." This was the second time he had thanked me and I felt like I had done something out of ordinary. It was an honor to receive the King's approval, twice. I looked at the 'Three Musketeers' and they were finally acting all friendly with each other.

I was reaching for my music player, in order to ignore both of these nuisances, when Hayama said something really out of character, "I just wanted everyone to get along, but you made me understand that I cause conflict too..."

My cynical mind was unable to find an answer to the honest side of Hayama. I wanted to say something nasty, something that would make him see how stupid his character was, but I only made a scornful sound, which showed that I had interest to learn more about his problems.

"Oh, since the two of us haven't decided on a group, why don't we go together?" Smiling in an exaggerated way, he offered me a handshake.

I felt the urge to puke at his behavior. _Why is he acting friendly with me?_ Damned, riajuu and his American costumes.

I grunted in discomfort and said, "Thanks buddy, but that's not a good idea." Saying that I slapped his hand.

He looked confused and with a forced smile he said, "Why do you say that? Is it because you don't want _attention_ to yourself?"

"That's not untrue, but Hiratsuka gave me a penalty for being rude and my destination for this tour was forcibly decided by her. Since this is my penalty, I'll take responsibility alone." I said trying to make him lose interest in his stupid idea. The delinquent and the popular kid getting along? This was almost a plot worthy of a Yaoi series.

He was surprised by what I said, but smiling broadly he insisted, "Really? That's interesting... May I ask where are you going?" This bastard. He was one of my kind, he was certainly a 'S' in disguise.

Totsuka was looking at me with a lot of expectation, she had this curious expression that made me blurt out the truth, "My _family's_ house."

His smug grin was gone and now he had a serious expression on his face, "I understand now, but I insist, let's go together. I'll keep quiet about your _group_."

I looked at him in the eyes and my Spidey sense alerted me of something that I wasn't aware: Hayama knew more about me than what I thought. **[4]**

I sighed in annoyance, deciding to accept his proposal just so that I could make him stop talking, "Okay, just remember what you said." I sent him a cold glare that served as a threat.

Totsuka made a cute pout and looked at me as if she felt offended, "Not fair, Hachiman! What about me?"

I blinked in surprise, trying to find a good answer, "Uh, I thought you had already decided."

"Yes, I decided to go with you, but you never understood my hints!" She crossed her arms and feigned to be depressed. Her sulking face was cute too and I wanted to see more of her reactions.

I decided to give up and as I thought before, Totsuka might be able to keep my secret. I also knew the truth behind her gender, so we would be on equal terms. Hopefully, I wouldn't need to threaten a girl.

"Tch, okay, you can come too." What was this lame reaction? Damn, was acting all bashful instead of scary.

Totsuka giggled happily and Hayama, wasting no time whatsoever, walked towards the blackboard to write our names. As I thought, that bastard always knew my name and was just messing with me.

When he was about to write the workplace that we were visiting, he froze, seemingly deep in thought, then he wrote something: 'HIratsuka's choice'

"Ehh? Hayama's going with him?" A stupid girl asked in disgust.

"No way, he's just being nice. I want to go where he's going though." Another of his feminine fans said in enthusiasm, but many were shocked when they noticed that our destination wasn't written on the board.

"What's with that vague answer, Hayato? Tell us where you are going!" A desperate girl said, clearly trying to get some attention.

Hayama walked away and showing an amazing smile he said, "It's a secret." The wink that he gave her at the end made many girls hearts go doki doki in excitement. This guy was unbelievable, another perfect crime that went unnoticed by these idiots.

* * *

A couple of days passed and the midterms were getting closer and closer, this meant that I spent many of my free hours studying really hard, which was something that I hated - I was a guy who didn't like to waste his energy in useless stuff. In my opinion I was ready to face the life of an adult, I just need to find a wife who would sustain our household.

My relationship with Komachi was still awkward and I still hadn't talked with her about what had happened that day. We still made small talk every day, but she was clearly throwing a tantrum.

Even though she was acting like this, she still kept doing her part of the housework and she would usually wear my T-shirt and blazers as nightwear. This could only mean that she wasn't really mad, right?

The other night we had this odd talk where she mentioned one of her male classmates and I had to control my protective instinct, clearly not wanting to complicate our current situation.

Apparently, the maggot's name was Taishi Kawasaki and he was my savior's little brother. This said kid was worried that his sister had become a delinquent, since she didn't come home at night and she usually acted weird.

Seeing this as the perfect way to pay back my debt towards that woman, I told Komachi that I would help her if she ever needed. This action made me gain a lot of points, which I noticed from her happy reaction. However, I still wasn't happy with this _thing_ called Taishi - I was hoping that this kid would keep his distance from my cute sister, for his own sake.

* * *

Another day of school came and a new mistake was made. I arrived late to one of Hiratsuka's classes and that made me become the target of some disdainful comments, nothing new really.

It wasn't my fault to be honest, even though I had already removed the plaster cast on my left arm, but my left arm still felt like a brick and I couldn't ride my bicycle like that. Public transports were pretty unreliable and I took the wrong bus by accident.

When the class ended, Hiratsuka started scolding me for my late arrival, threatening me with one of her punches, but then, to my surprise, she stopped and said, "You know what? I forgive you this time, because you surprised me. You actually managed to find a group, I hope to hear further improvements from you."

Before she could continue her emotional speech, which clearly was showing how proud she was of her teaching methods, a familiar character opened the classroom's door, carrying her bag in a lazy way, "Are you fashionably late too, Saki Kawasaki?" Hiratsuka called out the lone female's name with a wry smile. Thankfully, now the beast's attention wasn't focused on me.

The girl silently nodded, walking right past us with an ambitionless look on her eyes. Sitting on her seat, she gazed in a vacant way into the blue sky. This female loner was the definition of cool. She was cold and mature and her aura was threatening enough to make Hiratsuka speechless. _Please teach me how to be cool like you, black lace onee-sama!_

* * *

Sometime after being lectured by Hiratsuka, I received an unexpected blessing, my sister called me to talk with me and she even invited me to hang out with her at a near shopping center.

That was what I would like to think, but instead she called me because she wanted me to her friend, Trashy Kawasaki and they needed my help. Not wanting to damage the current fragile relationship that I had with Komachi, I accept my fate.

When I entered the cafe that she mentioned, I noticed that it was crowded with all types of students. Looking to a certain table, I spotted three familiar faces.

Saika Totsuka, which was wearing her flashy jersey, was seemingly interested in the cakes, probably wondering what to order. The other two were Yuigahama and Yukinoshita and it seemed like they were studying as they waited for their order.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, as I kept looking for an empty table. _Why am I so angry anyways?_ _Is it because they didn't invite me?_ No, that wasn't the reason, in fact, I was glad that my 'temporary' club mates kept their distance from me.

 _Is it because I was expecting something different from Totsuka?_ If that was the right answer, then I was being stupid and I deserved to feel this way. It seemed like I was angry, no, maybe this wasn't the best way to express how I was feeling... Perhaps I was feeling sad and disappointed.

Then, I noticed something idiotic, I had been staring for too long and that made those three notice my presence. Totsuka was grinning happily while waving at me. The other two girls' faces went pale and in their expressions I could see that I was clearly not welcomed there – nothing new.

I ended up ignoring them and sitting somewhere near the entrance. As I waited for my little sister to arrive, I picked up my phone and started to read the news. As a guy who loved Chiba, I had to know about the evolution of the current crime rate. Crap, I was starting to sound like a stupid cop.

Unfortunately for me, I forgot to bring some extra cash and now I couldn't afford to pay a miserable drink. Anyways, the queue at the counter was huge when I arrived, so at least I could find this lonely table.

Suddenly, I felt something cold pressing against my cheek and I had to contain the urge to jump in surprise. Looking to my left, I was faced with a Goddess holding a can of Max coffee against my face.

Totsuka gave me a guilty smile and said softly, "This is your favorite, right?"

I gulped in anticipation, I really wanted it, but I couldn't accept it, "I can't accept it, I can't pay you back. More importantly, weren't you studying with them?" I was being really cold towards the person who was being kind towards me. Yes, I was still somewhat dejected.

She put the can in front of me and took a seat in the opposite side of the table, "T-Take it, please. Sorry that you weren't invited... It's not like I didn't want you to come, but I had no way to contact you, Hachiman." Her voice and face was full of remorse.

"Tch, it's okay, I'm used to be left out anyways... I'll pay for this later." Finally giving to temptation and thirst, I started drinking my beloved can of coffee.

The mood was weird and Totsuka was unusually quiet in her seat, I was wondering if she really meant what she had said previously.

Fidgeting nervously, playing with her phone, Totsuka tried to said, "C-Can you give me your num-"

Before the blushing mess could finish her sentence, a cute schoolgirl that was near the entrance, waved at me with an energetic smile on her face, "Onii-chan!" The girl was Komachi and she was still wearing her school uniform.

She approached our table and I said in a protective way, "You're finally here. Wait, who's that dude?"

Behind my sister, stood a male student with a similar uniform and hearing my rude tone, he ducked his head, bowing in my direction. _Is he Trashy? What is their relationship?_ I started to stare at him in a menacing way.

"This is my friend that I talked you about. The guy whose sister became a delinquent... The same sister that helped you, remember?" Her tone was serious and her smile was forced. I knew exactly what she meant, I was playing with fire.

Not wanting the previous good mood that I had created by accepting to help her friend - this boy. I just wanted to fix our relationship and hopefully, repay my debt towards black lace.

"I'm Taishi Kawasaki and it's a pleasure to meet you. You see, I'm really worried about my sister, she started coming home late and she doesn't listen to what our parents say at all. I tried talking with her, but she says that it's none of my business. I know you two met already, so please, you're the only one I can rely on now, onii-san."

 _What did this freaking brat just call me? I am not your brother!_ This kid was already trying to become part of my family. He was clearly trying to steal away my precious sister. However, I couldn't defy Komachi now, I had to control myself. I had promised to help the brat and so I had to keep my words. _Crap, I always make the wrong choices!_

* * *

[1] – Oreimo reference.

[2] – Reference to the first OP of Pokémon.

[3] – Reference to Maoyū Maō Yūsha and the respective characters: Demon King and Hero.

[4] – Spider man reference.


	8. Clouded developments

**Edited: 29/01/17**

* * *

"You have no right to call me that, brat!" I growled directly at my sister's friend as soon as he called me 'onii-san'. This brat just met me and he was already trying to look good in front of me. He was clearly trying to look appealing in front of Komachi.

My sister glared at me in a cold manner and I understood her message clearly. Fact of the day: Hachiman Hikigaya always managed to find a way to screw up everything - source, Hikipedia.

I stood in silence and Komachi tried to lighten up the mood by talking with Totsuka, "Hello, I'm Komachi Hikigaya! Thanks for being there for my brother."

Her smile and attitude melted through Totsuka's awkward state and now she was able to speak normally, "It's a pleasure to meet you younger sister. My name is Saika Totsuka and I'm his frien- I mean, I'm his classmate."

I almost spilled my drink noticing that Totsuka was about to say that we were friends. Unfortunately for me, Komachi was too smart and her smile clearly meant that she had understood what Totsuka wanted to say.

"Oh, so polite what a cutie, right onii-chan?" Despite her carefree expression I knew that her harmless phrase contained a deeper meaning.

"Yeah, Totsuka is cute, but a nuisance." I said coldly, trying to stop her teasing. Hearing this, Totsuka dropped her head with a sad smile.

Once again, Komachi noticed what happened and she scolded me instantly, "You're an idiot onii-chan! That's not how you should treat your friends."

"Uh, it's okay... That's how Hachiman is, don't worry." Totsuka said with a kind expression. Damn, she was making me feel guilty for being a cold bastard.

While she kept pestering Totsuka in order to know more about our supposed friendship, Taishi finally decided to speak with a worried expression on his face, "...Excuse me, but can you help me? What am I supposed to do?"

Those words were directed at me and the fact that he was expressing his feelings so openly to a mere acquaintance made me became more serious about his request. This kid had some communication skills.

"Tell us more about black lac- I mean, tell us about your sister. You said that she had become a delinquent, why's that?" Crap, my perverted mind was almost exposed, but it wasn't my fault. Her erotic underwear was an image that I could never forget.

Taishi dropped his head and his expression became sad and then, he started talking, "Uh, yeah, that's right. I think that she changed ever since she joined Sobu High. She was always a serious student back in middle school, even if she was a bit scary and rebellious sometimes. Until her first year of high school she used to be nice and she often made dinner and other things... But lately, she has changed."

"Well, I don't think that your sister is a delinquent. It's true that I've never seen her getting along with anyone... But to me it feels like she's always lonely, staring at the window with a stoic expression." Totsuka's remark was actually pretty accurate. That was exactly how the older Kawasaki acted at school.

Komachi nodded and added, "I agree with Totsuka. I've met her and she's a good person. She cares a lot about her family and she's kind even to strangers." After finishing her sentence, my sister's eyes were gazing directly into my soul and I understood her message. She was right, Saki Kawasaki wasn't a bad person.

"So she only changed when she entered the eleventh grade... Have you seen her hanging out with bad company? You mentioned something about being late, but for someone of her age that's nothing new..."

Taishi stood in silence for a couple of seconds with a thoughtful expression and said, "Huh, I don't think that my sister hangs out with bad people, she's a loner and I've never heard her mentioning her friends. What you said about arriving home late might be true onii-san, but coming home at five o'clock is too late, right?"

I was so shocked by what I heard than I even forgot to scold him for treating me like a brother. If she arrived at home in the morning, she would only get around two hours of sleep a day and that would explain her usual tardiness and her tired appearance.

I didn't answer Taishi. I stood in silence, trying to come up with reasons for her behavior. "Y-Your parents don't say anything to her about this behavior?" Totsuka asked Taishi with a worried expression.

I was expecting Taishi to become flustered when interacting directly with such a cute girl, but he seemed to be immune, "Unfortunately, no. Both our parents work and since we still have a younger sister, they rarely even see her around. Raising a big family is complicated."

Dropping his shoulders with a sad expression, Taishi commented, "When I tried to face her about this situation, we ended up fighting. I tried to ask her for the truth, but she gets really stubborn and says, _'it's got nothing to do with you'_ or something similar..."

Then, Komachi nudged her friend in the ribs in a discrete way and that made him speak again, "But that's not all... Sister gets a lot of calls from a weird place."

"What place?" I asked curiously, finally seeing that we were reaching the core of the problem.

"Mm, I think it was from Angel-something, some kind of store. I've seen her talking on the phone with the manager guy."

"Why do you say it's weird?" My innocent Totsuka asked with a confused expression. So cute and pure.

Looking extremely perturbed, Taishi banged his fist against the table, "I mean, it's obvious! Angel!? With a name like that it's totally a suspicious store."

Finally, the parasite and I agreed on something. I understood what he meant perfectly. My perverted senses were tingling and I could totally imagine the 'Angel' word displayed in a red-light district. Perhaps that would explain why Saki Kawasaki was so mature for her age, not mentioning her sexy underwear.

I knew exactly how he felt, "Calm down, brat. I understand what you said."

Taishi was surprised when he heard those words and he started wiping his passionate tears. Getting up in a swift move, the boy embraced me in a passionate hug, "Onii-san, I knew you would understand!"

Trying to shove him away, I shouted back in mild anger, "Stop it brat! And did you just call me brother, again? I'll murder you, I'm serious."

After managing to push Taishi off me, I said in an annoyed tone, "Okay, I'll do it. I'll try to help your sister, somehow." At this point Komachi was smiling broadly at me in an honest way. Finally I had done something that made her happy.

Taishi seemed also very delighted with my response and he bowed while saying, "T-Thank you!" This kid was a pain in the ass and I felt the urge to act tsundere towards him, saying something like, _'Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not doing this because I care about you!'_. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be an act of bashfulness, I truly hated this kid. However, if I decided to act like an idiot again, that would definitely ruin the peaceful mood that I had created with Komachi.

* * *

In the following day I started to think of a plan to help Saki Kawasaki. I was sitting on the classroom, using my phone to search for the amount of jobs in Chiba whose name was 'Angel'. I was a surprise to notice that none of the results were linked to a suspicious activity. The mentioned name and the work schedule reduced the options to only two restaurants.

I was so focused on my phone that I didn't noticed that an actual _angel_ was staring at me, "Uh, hello, Hachiman. You see, I was interested about what happened and I really wanted to help you... I don't want to be a nuisance, of course."

Looking directly at Totsuka, I said, "You don't have to force yourself to help."

"No, I just want to help you and our classmate." Totsuka said in a kind way that left no room for discussion.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and stood in silence, trying to figure a good way to deal with this situation. Totsuka started fidgeting in her seat and I sensed that she was about to say something, "Uh... Have you already decided what to do in order to help Kawasaki?"

I nodded negatively in a frustrated way and Totsuka raised her hand timidly as if she was asking for permission to talk, "So, I've been thinking that we should ask Hiratsuka's help for this. I think that there are some problems that we can't discuss with our parents, but maybe another adult could help, m-maybe?"

Her idea was brilliant, as expected from the prince in disguise. It was true that most of the teenagers weren't able to talk with their parents about embarrassing topics like romance, porn, friendship or even bullying. Maybe Hiratsuka could help, but I couldn't imagine that Kawasaki was the type who would trust her problems to another person.

She seemed really stubborn and from what I understood, she loved her family above all else. If she couldn't share her problems with the people that she loved the most, there was no way that she would talk openly to anyone else. The only option was to confront her directly in a way that would leave her no room to escape, basically, I needed to treat her like a criminal.

I looked directly at Totsuka and said, "Your idea is great Totsuka, but I'm sure that Hiratsuka won't be able to break through Kawasaki's cold attitude."

Totsuka tilted her head in confusion and had this thoughtful expression that made me explain what I meant previously, "Hmm, let me see if I can explain this to you with an example... Think of Kawasaki as if she was a guilty criminal. If she can't confess her crimes with her loved ones do you think that she'll talk freely to an outsider?"

The cute girl made a sound that showed amazement and then said, "I think I understand what you're saying, Hachiman... But how are we going to help her if she doesn't open up to anyone?"

I smirked and said confidently, "We set up a trap that will make Kawasaki admit her crimes." In my head, what I said made sense and Totsuka seemed happy to agree with my idiotic banter. We decided to start this plan.

* * *

It was almost nighttime, the exact time that marked the start our city's nightly activity. Totsuka and I were already standing in front of one of the supposed crime scenes.

Before I could say anything, I felt my phone vibrating and picked up the incoming call, "Yo, who's talking?"

 _"Onii-san, is that you? I got your number from Komachi."_ A loud and irritating voice echoed in my ear.

"I'm sorry, it's a mistake. I don't have a brother." This brat was clearly testing my patience, so I ended up the call.

Seconds passed and my phone started vibrating again, this kid was really persistent, so I gave in. _"Why did you hang up?"_ He said sounding very offended.

"Tch, what do you want brat?" I said trying to resist the urge to end the call.

 _"I just wanted to know how the plan is going. I've heard that you're trying to figure out where my sister works."_

Surprisingly, he already knew about the plan. Komachi told him about my previous email and as expected, the interaction skills of my sister were top notch. My only complaint was that she had made a huge mistake - she gave my personal information to one of the persons that I hated the most and now I could sent him threat emails to protect my cute Komachi.

Trying to refocus on our conversation, I said, "Yeah, something like that. We're about to enter the first restaurant. Later." With that vague explanation, I hung up and focused on one of my partners.

The first place on the last ended up being an otaku restaurant with the name 'Maid Café Angel'. Totsuka was looking weirdly at the neon lights and the multiple illustrations of cute girls with animal ears in maid clothes.

Totsuka was really interested in everything and her eyes were glistening with curiosity. She seemed like a newborn who had just discovered something incredible and her cuteness made me grin. Despite being a girl, I had never seen Totsuka interested in girly things. _Why is that?_

"So this is a maid café..." Totsuka murmured happily. "I don't know much about these type of things, can you explain it to me?" I could sense some blood starting to gush out of my nose as I imagined Totsuka in one of those cute outfits, calling me Master.

Still a bit out of it, I said, "Er, uh, I've never been to one, so I can't say. However, I called an expert on this type of stuff."

Suddenly, we heard a loud laugh and then, our expert said, "You called, Hachiman?" I already knew who was the one talking to us, it was none other than Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, the guy who always wore his stupid coat even during the summer.

"Why are you looking at me with that face when you are the one asking for favors?" Zaimokuza pointed at me accusingly, probably noticing my disgusted expression. He was sweating like crazy.

I smirked and said, "I was just thinking that you are a pain in the ass. So this the place, huh?" I asked looking weirdly at the maid café.

Zaimokuza nodded and I trusted in his knowledge on this type of stuff. I had already explained everything about our plan to help Saki Kawasaki and he agreed to guide us.

"Well, according to our research there are only two possible places in Chiba and I bet in this one. Come Sir Totsuka, let's start this plan." Finishing his sentence, Zaimokuza pointed at the 'Maid Café Angel' sign. The poster mentioned that girls were free to experiment serving as a maid, a well thought recruiting strategy.

"Ehh? Do I have to do this?" Totsuka took several steps back, trying to protect herself from Zaimokuza. Suddenly, Totsuka grabbed my blazer with a pleading look, but I couldn't deny that I wanted to see her in a maid outfit.

"Why is Totsuka involved in this? Explain your idea." I said trying to protect the cutie who was almost in tears.

"This is not just me being a pervert, this plan was well prepared. You see, Totsuka can easily disguise himself as a girl, infiltrate the restaurant and hopefully gather some information about the list of employees." While I was sure that part of him just wanted to see Totsuka dressed in cute clothes, I had to admit that his plan was flawless. His creativity was really useful.

I looked at Totsuka and gave her a knowing gaze. With a sad expression and a pout she nodded and we headed inside. Once inside, the three of us received the usual greeting and were directed to a table.

Eventually, Totsuka had to drop her reverse-trap role and with pain in her expression, she mentioned that she wanted to try serving as a maid to one of the employees. She was guided by a couple of cute girls, disappearing into a room on the back of the restaurant.

Looking sideways towards Zaimokuza, I noticed that he was restless. He drank his glass of water in seconds and his usual loud personally was gone. "Oi, what's up?" I asked.

He looked at me blankly and said, "I was too cocky, Hachiman. I think that I cannot converse with the maids..."

I felt the urge to laugh at his pathetic reaction. It was only normal, a teen getting pampered by a lot of girls in erotic custom was surely arousing. However, I felt like I was a little too used to this. It was like I was used to this type of treatment, I felt like this was something that I had to go through on a daily basis, but I couldn't understand this weird sense of comfort.

Coughing loudly as he choked on the water, Zaimokuza looked at me with a serious expression, "Have you been doing some investigation on that _thing_?" His voice was low and the fact that he was acting all weirdly made us receive lot of attention.

"Not lately... I've been busy with studies and random requests." I knew what he meant with that vague phrase, but I felt like this wasn't the time to speak about this matter.

He then looked at me with a grin and said, "I've been doing some research of my own, especially about that Workplace visit that I mentioned... Imagine my surprise when I learnt that your father owned that and many other media companies in Chiba. Why haven't you said anything, Hachiman?"

He had finally discovered that _small_ detail, well there was no point in denying it now, "Yeah, it's true... If people don't ask, I don't bother telling. Anyways, it's a boring and long story."

I was hoping that he would drop the matter, but he continued, "So cold, Hachiman. We're partners and you're my number one reader! I needed to know that I was dealing with someone that had such a glorious legacy. Haha, now I feel even more hyped to make you admit that my novel is good."

Well, I was glad to know that he wasn't going to ask stuff that I wasn't comfortable to share. The fact that he showed no ulterior motives behind his curiosity was something that made me somewhat happy, but I wouldn't admit it.

Looking around, I started to adjust to the fan-service provided by the employees and I reached a point where hearing the word 'moe' and 'master' was starting to get annoying. Somewhere in my mind, I had this weird impression that this happened to me a lot, but it was a very fuzzy feeling.

Suddenly, I noticed an athletic figure, dressed in a butler's outfit, coming in our direction holding a tray with skill. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, M-Master." The person in front of us was none other than my beloved Totsuka.

I was in shock noticing that the plan that we created to see our classmate in a girly outfit had backfired on us. Zaimokuza was just as surprised as I was, but I could clearly see that he was still smiling like a pervert, clearly enjoying the situation.

Totsuka's lean figure matched the elegant outfit perfectly and her movements were graceful, she seemed experienced in doing this kind of stuff. In silence, she delivered our drinks in a polite way, refusing to look me in the eye for some reason.

Zaimokuza laughed in a creepy way and said loudly, "Not bad, Sir Totsuka! I wasn't expecting this kind of service, but maybe the role of Subaru Konoe suits you perfectly. Is Totsuka really a boy, Hachiman? I can't believe my eyes." **[1]**

"Uh, yeah Totsuka is somewhat like a special being. My classmate's cuteness abolishes all the boundaries related to gender, right?" I said with a teasing smirk, trying to stop what Zaimokuza wanted to imply. However, Totsuka completely ignored me, looking away with an unfamiliar expression.

Zaimokuza's stupid reference was actually pretty close to her real situation. For what I had understood, her family were the ones forcing her to act like this. Totsuka sat in our table, looking somewhat irritated and I decided to speak again, "What's wrong Totsuka? That's not the way how you should treat your Master."

My second approach didn't work as well. She wasn't smiling like usual and she was acting very tsun-tsun and cold, not even nodding at me, "Are you mad?" I asked, trying to figure out why she was acting weirdly.

Pouting cutely with an angry expression, she said, "Yes I am! You didn't save me... You wanted me to dress like a girl!"

I knew I had made a mistake. For unknown reasons, she was supposed to keep her boy persona and because of this perverted idea, she was almost discovered by Zaimokuza. "Ooh, er, you see, I was just teasing you because you look cute for a guy. It was just friendly teasing and to be honest, Zaimokuza's plan was really good."

This time, she looked at me and with a blush she said. "I-If that's the reason then, I'll forgive you."

Managing to fix Totsuka's mood with my VN interaction skills, I decided to ask the important question, "So, what were you able to find out?"

With a dejected look on her face, Totsuka said, "Kawasaki doesn't work here, I asked around for her, but no one knew who she was and her name wasn't on the shift schedule."

"Well, it look like it was a waste of time." I commented.

Zaimokuza had this guilty look on his face and he interjected nervously, "Ahh, I can't believe it. I could totally imagine someone like her working here. The tough girl that is forced to work as a maid to repay her family's debt. Then she has the fateful encounter with her blond prince-" **[2]**

"Yes, yes, I get your reference Zaimokuza." I put a stop to his ranting and we decided to head home soon after. Thanks to our wrong prediction, we had wasted a whole evening. At least I had seen Totsuka wearing a cute butler's outfit plus I found a good café to spend my free time.

* * *

The following day I continued to pursue my objective to help my delinquent classmate. It was already night time and I was heading towards the second crime scene, the bar called 'Angel ladder', situated on the top floor of the Hotel Royal Okura.

As I made my way through the entrance of this enormous building, I adjusted my black suit, which was one of the most fancy clothing that owned. Underneath my black jacket I was wearing a white shirt, along with a black tie. Since this kind of place only allowed entrance to well-dressed people, I had to pick up some black leather shoes and to avoid some unwanted attention to my eyes, I wore some purple glasses which was probably a cosplay item that I had acquired in the past. I had even gelled my hair backwards.

Even if these clothes looked really uncomfortable, I felt perfectly normal while wearing them. I felt as if I had done this multiple times in the past, but I had no memories of doing such thing. I didn't know why, but these clothes made me feel confident or maybe it was just my imagination, since I looked very mature.

Komachi was almost crying when she saw me leaving home looking like this. She offended me saying that this was how I was supposed to dress during my wedding day and then she told me that unfortunately, that would never happen. Since the mood between had been a little better the past days, she start teasing me by saying that it was too bad that no one would ever want to date such a lame man. What a rude brat.

Today I had to act on my own since my two partners in crime didn't have clothes that were appropriated for this place's etiquette.

From the moment that I left the elevator, I knew that this place was reserved for people of high society, but I wasn't feeling nervous. I was now facing a lounge bar with smoothly lightened and there was this foreign woman playing a nice melody on the piano.

This felt like the perfect place to propose to someone in marriage. The windows of the tall building showed a magnificent view of Tokyo bay and all the different type of lights helped creating a perfect mood for a romantic encounter. Now I was understanding why this place had 'Angel' in its name.

Unlike my usual lax attitude, I entered the bar's wooden door with a confident posture. I was greeted by a male waiter that guided me to the bar counter in front of the edge of a glass window. I was just looking at the view imagining how nice it would have been to see Totsuka wearing a girly dress while, playing the role of my date.

When I finally put a stop to these random thoughts, I saw a female bartender polishing some glasses with a straight and professional posture. I recognized her immediately from looking at that tired expression, I had finally found Kawasaki.

Despite looking relatively tired, she seemed like a totally different person. Her long hair was tied up and she was wearing a waiter's outfit, which showed how well-endowed she was.

Without recognizing me, she placed a menu in front of me, waiting in silence. Removing my glasses I called for her, "Kawasaki."

Giving me a confused look, she said, "I'm sorry, sir, but who are you exactly?"

I smirked at her reaction, she knew exactly who I was. "How rude, I thought that we were more than strangers." I couldn't understand why, but I had chosen the cocky approach.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid that we are mere acquaintances, Hikigaya." She said, looking at me with her usual cold eyes.

Still eyeing me harshly, she poured me a drink while muttering, "Be careful not to choke... We don't serve drinks for brats here."

She had given me an alcoholic drink, which I was now forced to pay for. Not wanting to waste my money, I picked up the champagne glass and took a sip and that made her grin in surprise.

"I would definitely prefer some coffee, but this wasn't that bad." I said stubbornly after getting adjusted to the sour taste of the drink. "If I choke be sure to save me again, okay?"

This time she ignored my teasing, clicking her tongue in annoyance. Giving me a defeated smile she said, "So, you now know about my night activities." Even if she sounded bothered, she didn't seem to have any intention of hiding the truth.

Looking at me with her arms crossed she said in disdain, "Don't tell me that you came here for a date?"

I was surprised at first at her insult, but then I answered with a smirk, "I don't know... I need to ask your boss if I can take you for some private time."

Her purple eyes widened in surprise and she averted my gaze, "Are you stupid?"

I couldn't contain my laughing, "Sorry, but I'm not interested in cold women. You see, there was this little brother that was really worried about his older sister. It seems like she has been arriving home late because of her part-time job."

Hearing this, Kawasaki gave me a forced smile, "So what? Good job in reporting my brother's worries, but don't think that I'll quit just because this random guy that I don't care about is trying to meddle in my problems."

If it wasn't for the fact that she had saved me, I had thought the exact same thing about her. Unfortunately for me, I wanted to repay her favor and that was the only thing that made me endure her cold words.

I wanted to say something, but Kawasaki continued, "Oh, so you were the reason why things have become more complicated lately. I don't know what Taishi said, but this is none of your business."

I sighed and tried to talk with her, "You can get in trouble for what you're doing... I was just trying to offer you some help for what you did."

She glared at me, clearly trying to warn me not to continue this conversation. Kawasaki probably understood what I meant to say. There was a law that didn't allow minors to work past ten o'clock and that time had passed some time ago. She was working here using an illegal ID.

Kawasaki sighed and said in an unperturbed tone, "I don't intend to quit this job. If I decide to leave this one, I can always get a new one somewhere else. I just need the money…"

Hearing her reasoning I nodded. One of the main reasons to work was simply because we all needed money to survive. It was normal for people our age to get jobs because their friends also had one, others wanted more money to spend on their things, some simply enjoyed working because they couldn't live without doing anything.

Looking at my expression, Kawasaki's expression stiffened, "Why are you looking at me like you understand my position? You have no intention of working or choosing a proper career option, but you still have the courage to lecture me about my own choices... You're a dumbass."

I didn't really have an answer for her argument, it was exactly as she said, I had no goal in my life. "It's not like I'm working because I need money to waste in stupid stuff like the morons from our class... Don't get in my way!" She continued her emotional outburst, glaring at me with cold eyes.

Despite being somewhat intimidated, I couldn't look away from her. I knew that deep inside she was crying for help and she just wanted to be accepted by someone. Her heated words revealed how strong she was in terms of personality, she was doing all of this for a reason.

I sighed in defeat and said in a serious tone, "Let me be the one to help you this time."

Kawasaki looked at me and said coldly, "Like I said, I don't need anything from you. How do you pretend to help me anyways? It's not like you can cough up money for me or help me with the burden that my parents left me."

"If you let me think for a second, I might find a solut-"

Unfortunately for me, I was silenced before I could say another word, "Tch, you're the one who needs help the most. Aren't you the heir of a rich Yakuza group? Someone like you who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth can't understand me..." Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but I had understood exactly what she said.

I had no idea how she knew about that, but I was certain that Komachi wouldn't tell anyone about our _situation_. She kept on cleaning some glasses and as I finally managed to recover from the initial shock, "I understand what you're trying to do. You want to make me understand that our circumstances are different and you're right, maybe I don't understand what you're going through. However, we both know that what you're doing is still wrong."

I didn't mean to scold her or teach her a lesson, like she mentioned before, the two of us were mere acquaintances and we had nothing to do with each other's lives. However, her actions were breaking the law and if something happened, her parents and our school would be involved in this mess and she would be judged by her offenses like an adult.

Kawasaki stood in silence, understanding what I meant to say. Taking another sip of my horrible drink, I said, "Kawasaki, lets meet tomorrow morning at McDonalds. I'll be there at half past five, okay?"

She frowned in confusion and said harshly, "Hmm, why?"

Handing over my empty glass and paying for my drink, I said with a smirk, "It's about your brother, but we'll talk tomorrow. Oh and next time serve me some Max coffee instead." Turning around, I made a cool exit that would certainly fit the bar's atmosphere.

* * *

In the following morning and as promised, I was already inside the fast food restaurant, drinking my coffee in a lazy way. I was an idiot for arranging a meeting that would make me wake up at five. Sitting beside me were Komachi and the little brother. This was the final showdown with the female delinquent.

Suddenly, the automatic door opened and a wild Saki Kawasaki appeared. "Oh, you actually came..." I said in surprise after facing this rare creature.

"Taishi... What are you doing here?" Kawasaki glared at her brother and then switched her attention to me. Her tone of irritation was scarier than usual and I deduced that she was very moody because she hadn't slept much this past night.

Taishi looked at her and said, "That's what I wanted to say... What were you doing until now?"

Looking away, Kawasaki decided to cut the conversation, "It's none of your business." The typical answer that in terms of logic was correct, what she had been doing was her own problem. However, this situation was different, she was encircled and she had only the option to confront us.

Before the two siblings could exchange more heated words I decided to intervene, "Kawasaki, I already figured out why you need the money."

After saying that, Kawasaki's attention was entirely on me, "Taishi, what changed when you started your third year?" Taishi mentioned that his sister had become a delinquent on her second year of high school, but the reason for her actions could be something related to this brat.

Taishi had a reflective look on his face and after a few seconds he answered, "Uh... That was when I started prep school." Kawasaki looked at me with a face that showed concern. She bit her lip in frustration when she noticed that I had solved the case.

"Seeing that the problems involving Taishi's fees were already resolved, that means that you're doing this for your future. As the brat said, his sister was always serious and very kind. Nothing changed." I finally stated my conclusion.

"Nee-chan... Why didn't you say something?" Taishi said with a sad expression.

Walking towards her brother, Kawasaki patted Taishi's head comfortingly while saying, "That's why I didn't want you to know."

This heartwarming scene that put an end to the siblings' conflict was wonderful to watch. Everything seemed peaceful until Kawasaki said abruptly, "That's why I can't quit my job. I want to go to university, but I don't want to cause trouble for our parents because of it."

Suddenly, my cute sister decided to intervene, "Saki, mind if I say something?" Kawasaki looked surprised to see my sister interested in this problem too, but instead of a cold glare she nodded and my sister continued, "So, everyone in our family works a lot and, like, when I was little I usually arrived our home first and no one would be there to receive me. I felt so lonely and sad in that huge house... I felt like I didn't belong in there, I was afraid of it, so one day, I got sick of returning to a deserted home and I ended up running away from home for a few hours. That time the person who came to my rescue was my onii-chan. From that moment, he promised to me that he would always arrive home first, so that he can greet me with a smile when I arrive and I'm grateful for that."

I wanted to say something when she started to talk about us, but for some reason I held my tongue and decided to listen to her story. For some reason, when I tried to recall this memory, my head started hurting a lot and I had no idea that this event had happened.

I held my head in my palm and tried to think clearly about what Komachi was saying, but I couldn't remember anything. _Is this the reason why I was so eager to arrive home early every day?_ I had no idea what was happening and I was about to panic.

I noticed Kawasaki looking at me with a newfound respect, clearly figuring out that I wasn't totally rotten. She smirked and said teasingly, "He also comes home early because he doesn't have friends, right Komachi?"

I wanted to bite back, but I was too confused and my head was killing me. Luckily for me, my dear sister continued the conversation, "Well, it's true that onii-chan has become a weird person... But in the past he was popular, a troublemaker, but still a good person. He even had friends."

 _What is Komachi saying?_ I had no idea what she was talking about. I felt like she was talking about a completely different person. I thought that I was always a loner, even in the past, but to be honest, my memories were all confused and I could only remember stuff that happened after my graduation in middle school.

 _Why can't I remember anything clearly?_ Komachi clearly wasn't lying, I knew that from experience. Whenever she lied she would always have this this playful smirk on her face.

 _Why do I remember this about her, but I can't remember anything related to me?_ I started feeling unwell and my sister noticed my weird behavior, "Are you okay, onii-chan? You look really pale, you know that I'm just joking, okay? Komachi loves her brother even if he's a weirdo. Kyahh! That made Komachi points go up."

Before I could say anything, Kawasaki spoke in a demanding voice, "So, what's the point?"

Komachi looked at Kawasaki cold glare and she said with her usual cheerful smile, "Even if my brother is hopeless, he definitely will do anything to avoid worrying me, even if lately he forgot about that... So, Taishi is the same, he doesn't want to cause problems for you." Despite her previous mention to my 'little lie', her logic was flawless. She was truly a Hikigaya.

I was still in silence while the other two siblings had another emotional scene. Taishi was blushing madly as his sister stroke his hair gently with a beautiful smile on her face. I was also feeling a bit calmer, especially after hearing such amazing words from my sister - even if I had no idea who she was talking about.

Even if everything was solved emotionally, she still needed the money in order to enter university. A scholarship could solve her problems with the tuition fees, but what if she was forced to study outside of Chiba. _Will she be able to pay for an apartment? Will she be able to live with comfort, while studying for university?_

Even if my family had lots of money, handing over some hundred yens wouldn't be morally correct and there were only two things to do, "Leave your current job and contact this number. It's a job offer that is more advantageous for you. Just mention that you know me." As I said that, I gave her a small paper with a phone number, which she accepted with a weird look, "By the way, you know what a scholarship is?"

* * *

A few days later and after that meeting with Kawasaki, I finally felt free from my debt towards her. I still didn't know if she had contacted that number for a job interview, but I couldn't care less because I did all I could to help her. Part of her problems would be solved just by getting a scholarship anyways.

Every day of the past week had been an exam day. Today was the day that we received our results from the said exams.

Speaking of my exam results, I had been trying to defend my podium positions in every subject except for math. Seriously I had a terrible score, 9/100. I was still horrible at math and I wondered if I had always been like this.

Lately there has been something that had been taking away my precious hours of sleep. I started wondering why the hell I couldn't remember anything from my past clearly. At certain point, I started wondering who the heck I really was. I felt like something really important happened, but I didn't know what. _Is this related to why I hate my family so much?_

Whatever happened to me, made me change in some way. I remembered clearly the wish to run away from my family even though I knew that they weren't criminals. _What happened?_

I tried to calm myself, not wanting to create a big scene. Today wasn't just the day we got our exam results, it was also the day of the Workplace tour. The students and their respective groups were called during recess and we were sent out to our place of choosing.

 _What a pain!_ With all the stress from the exams and the drama that went down with Kawasaki and the case of my lost memories, I had totally forgot that today was the day that I was supposed to visit my _home_ with the group.

Speaking of such thing, my group mates were Totsuka and Hayama and we were currently waiting for our ride at the school's parking lot. To worsen my day, Hiratsuka was the one who offered to drive us to my place or maybe I should say 'Workplace'.

My house was located in the south of Chiba, near a small mountain area, which was usually mentioned as Chiba Village. My body and mind weren't ready for this and I was hoping that this day would come to an end. For some reason I had always wanted to run away from my grandparents' home, but today I was being forced to face my problems. _Damn you Hiratsuka!_

* * *

[1] – Reference to Mayo Chiki!.

[2] – Reference to Kaicho wa Maidsama and its main characters.


	9. Bocchan returns home

**IMPORTANT NOTE (SPOILERS):**

 **If you need a visual guidance to help you with the description of Hachiman's house, use our best friend google and search for images of Emiya Shirou's house (Fate series) - a classic Japanese-style house. Again, to help you visualize the two OC's that are going to be introduced, imagine an older and more muscular version of Eren from Attack on Titan for the male; as for the girl, in my head she's pretty much similar to Honda from Nisekoi - yes I'm sorry for my poor imagination!**

 **Edited: 29/01/17**

* * *

Current situation: awkward. Everything about this Workplace tour was a nuisance and I was so embarrassed that I couldn't even speak a word to my group mates.

After a small waiting time, Hiratsuka appeared in the school's parking lot driving a weird looking minivan, which was really suspicious. It looked like the exact type of car that a serial kidnapper would drive.

I sighed in defeat, looking at how energetic my teacher was. She opened that van's door and exited to talk with us, "Are you guys ready?" She asked while looking for a cigarette in her breast pocket.

"Of course, sensei. Although I sense that Hikigaya isn't very comfortable with this, maybe we should reconsider." Hayama said, immediately assuming the leading role and he was even trying to help me. He was such a good guy, I might fall for him. However, when I looked at his face I noticed that he was smiling weirdly and I knew that he was just trying to spark a fire.

I wanted to say something in my defense, maybe I could try to change everyone's mind about this stupidity, but Hiratsuka sensed my intentions and she spoke first, "Don't worry Hayama, Hikigaya is always like that. It's going to be fun! C'mon let's hurry." Saying that she entered the driver's seat again giving me a playful wink.

I was being used like a freaking pawn in a chess game. Everyone was using me for their enjoyment, not caring about what happened to me in the end of the game. I hated this woman, but at the same time I had the feeling that she was just trying to help me. She was a good-hearted person and I couldn't understand people like that.

I sensed that Totsuka wanted to speak with me, but she stood there in a passive manner looking at me sideways. Even though she was in her male uniform, she was cute as always, but as I thought, this situation was too awkward. She timidly entered the van, picking the back seat by the window.

I really wanted to seat by her side, but Hayama was faster than me and he stole my place. _Damn you Hayama!_ Well, there was nothing I could do, I had to seat near this idiot. Suddenly, a voice called out for me, "Hikigaya, sit in the passenger seat."

"Tch, I don't want to. Choose Hayama instead, he is way better co-pilot than me." I rejected her idea immediately, while trying to get some revenge.

Hiratsuka gave me a cold glare through the open window and said, "Don't be an idiot and just sit here." Finally sensing how embarrassing her insistence was, she looked away with a blush and said, "D-Don't get funny ideas, Hikigaya. It's only because you're the one who knows the way, right?"

She had a point and I didn't want to start a war with this woman, she was too stubborn. I gave up and decided to occupy the passenger's seat. At least I wouldn't have to look at Hayama's face, the smug bastard that stole my opportunity to touch legs with Totsuka.

Anyways, the smile that Hiratsuka had on her face made me realize that seating near to a beautiful older woman wasn't that bad. Or so I thought, then I started inhaling the smoke from her stupid lit cigarette, which was making me feel nauseous.

In a swift movement, I reached out for the said cigarette and I stole it from her hand, "What the hell are you doing?" Hiratsuka said in a surprise, trying to keep her attention on the road.

I opened my seat's window and I threw away the damned thing, "If you want to spend some time with your students, don't turn them into smokers too. Just drive."

Hearing my irritated tone made her flinch, but she complied and surprisingly, Hiratsuka kept her attention on the road. _Is she embarrassed because I scolded her?_ I wasn't sure, but she was cute like this. She kept on pressing the accelerator, maybe a little too much for my taste and we soon reached the highway.

After some minutes of driving, I realized something, "Oi, didn't you say that you don't know the way?"

Hiratsuka coughed, clearly she was clearly lying, "W-What are you saying? I studied the easiest route for us to follow, th-that's all! Anyways, look it's the mountains." She immediately tried to cover her lack of fundament by changing the subject.

"Wow, it really is." Totsuka said in amazement, she was city girl and when confronted with a sight like this I understood her reaction. After some seconds of sightseeing, she said, "Hachiman's family lives really far from Chiba, huh?" Totsuka now had sad expression and thankfully, Hayama didn't say anything.

"…It's not that far. Just an hour of driving, maybe minutes if the road is clear and you're a reckless driver like our teacher." I commented trying to put a stop to Totsuka's display of pity. _It's not like I feel lonely, not at all._ I had my sister living with me and that was all I needed. Sometimes my parents stopped by our apartment, but that was only on rare occasions like Christmas and Komachi's birthday.

Suddenly, I felt a hand gripping my knee with an amazing strength, "Hey, you shouldn't irritate someone who is doing you a favor. Let's not forget to respect your teacher, am I clear, brat?"

She was scary, really scary. As I thought she was the perfect example of a yandere, "I get it, I get it! Just keep your hands on the wheel, woman! If we have an accident I might not survive because I'm in the passenger seat."

Totsuka was giggling behind us after noticing our interaction, "You guys sound like two siblings fighting."

Hiratsuka laughed sarcastically and said with a mocking tone, "Hikigaya being my brother? Hell no! I wouldn't want such a troublesome kid depending on me. It's already a pain for me to deal with him as my student, so, no way!" She continued to laugh on her own, clearly enjoying the fact that she could throw insults at me freely - she knew that I wouldn't dare to insult her directly in front of these two, especially after getting warned with her 'Vice claw' skill. **[1]**

Then, Hayama decided to speak too, "You really look like good friends to me. You have a good friendship… A bond that surpasses the teacher-student relationship."

 _What the hell is this guy trying to insinuate?_ His poisonous comment made Hiratsuka smile disappear and I was feeling really pissed off and I was about to shout at him. The mood became really weird.

 _It isn't true, right?_ Hiratsuka was a dedicated teacher that cared a lot about her students and she only showered me with attention because I was a lost lamb. _That's all, right? Say something, Hiratsuka!_ Her lack of reaction was a shock for me. I couldn't understand her reaction at all. Some seconds ago she was offending like I was the biggest nuisance in the world and now after hearing what that retard said she seemed offended and sad at the same time.

Soon after an awkward silence, Totsuka and Hayama started talking cheerfully about their respective clubs and their upcoming tournaments. To be honest, I felt jealous about how similar those two were in terms of having a strong passion for something. Unlike these two, I had no goal and nothing made me excited like they usually were during their club's activities.

Anyways, we kept heading towards a small town near Chiba Village. I knew that it had been awhile since the last time that I had visited my grandparents' house, but I had the impression that I had been in Chiba Village quite frequently during the past. At least the name sounded really familiar, but once again I couldn't remember anything and that made me frustrated.

* * *

Our van headed straight through the afternoon's traffic in an amazing speed. Surprisingly enough the road was pretty clear. Some minutes later, Hiratsuka exited the highway, following a countryside road, which eventually led us towards a small town and further ahead there was this plate indicating that Chiba Village was just some kilometers away.

Two years had passed since Komachi and I left our family's home and unlike a normal person, I wasn't homesick. In fact, I had no intention of ever returning, but Hiratsuka had to meddle in my problems. I couldn't remember why and when I started hating my family so much, but the fact that I was feeling really insecure and nervous about of all this wasn't a good sign.

After a few twisty turns on some empty roads, I instantly recognized the high walls surrounding a Japanese-style building, which made me feel like I had been sent to the past.

"We are here!" Hiratsuka said enthusiastically letting out a tired sigh. As I had suspected, she knew exactly how to get here, but I decided not to start a fight.

"Is this your house Hachiman? So amazing…" Totsuka said with a joyful voice while looking through the open window. _Praise me more, Totsuka!_ I knew that her words weren't directed to me, but her childish tone made her gain a lot of Totsuka points.

"This is indeed amazing, Hikigaya. I feel like I've travelled to the Edo period. Is your family descendants of samurais or something?" Hayama said in a playful tone, but he also seemed somewhat surprised by what he was seeing.

I sighed in irritation. Once again the nerves took hold of my body and I started to feel really weird. These guys were acting very happy while I was here almost dying of nerves. _Read the mood, idiots!_ "It's nothing special." I commented, clearly trying to put a stop to their comments.

We followed the wall for a couple of meters, until we finally reached the main entrance, which was a small ramp that led us to a large wooden gate. Hiratsuka used the car's horn a couple of times and soon after the huge gates opened. As our van entered the main gate, we were greeted by a man in a black suit, "Welcome back, Bocchan!"

* * *

What a great day. The sun was still shining, we could see the mountains and the green forests on the background and the air that we were breathing was really pure. Everything was decent until that dude decided to embarrass me in front of everyone. I sighed and tried to hide myself in the passenger seat. I had totally forgot that every single member of our group/company treated me like a mob boss.

"Hachiman this is amazing! Your family is like, super important and that guy he treats you with so much respect! Look, he's still bowing his head." The fact Totsuka was saying all this stuff made me feel even worse. At this point even Hayama was starting to laugh at my situation. I was starting to hate the real world even more. _Please Izzy, open the Digi-Ports on the computer and let me run away._ **[2]**

They were right, my house or perhaps I should say manor, was amazing. After entering the large gate, we entered an amazing gravel garden surrounded with maples and other different type of plants. The scenery really made us feel like we had traveled back in time. On the other hand, I just wanted to fast forward this 'Workplace tour' event and hopefully forget about everything that happened here.

Hiratsuka finally stopped the van near an area where a couple of cars were parked and to our left, we could finally see the main door of the classical residence. "Wow... Hachiman I don't even know what to say." As soon as she exited the van, Totsuka started admiring the foreign view around her. As I thought before, her reaction was pretty cute, but I would prefer not to hear anymore compliments to my family.

Hayama exited the vehicle with an extreme elegance, which made me feel like he was the one who would be perfect to assume my role as the heir of this group. He was acting composed, unlike Totsuka, but he also had an amused smile on his face.

Suddenly, the passenger door, which I had been using as a mental and psychological shield, was opened abruptly by Hiratsuka, "C'mon Hachiman, what are you doing? This is your house, right? Stop acting like a little girl."

My idea of hiding in the van was ruined by my rude teacher. I sighed in defeat and left the van behind with a couple of tears on my eyes. _If only I hadn't acted like an ass when I wrote that damned paper._

We headed to the front entrance of the Hikigaya's residence, which was a modest sliding door made of wood. Then, out of nowhere the door was burst open by a male figure wearing a black yukata with a white sash and some weird slippers, "Bocchan, I'm so happy to see you!"

The person who opened the door abruptly was a tall and somewhat muscular young man, with very expressive black eyes and a short and messy dark hair. The nuisance approached me and bowed in respect, "I'm really glad that you've returned, Bocchan! As your right-hand man nothing made me happier than to know that you had become the heir."

This was one of the reasons why I didn't want to come back. Everyone acted very friendly and protective towards me, but I had no memories of every getting along with these people. Smiling bitterly, I said, "Yo, I'm home." _Unfortunately._

Finally moving his attention to the guests, my supposed right-hand man said, "I'm Haruki Maruyama and it's an honor to receive Bocchan's friends in our home." This energetic and extremely loyal guy kept embarrassing, while presenting himself to Totsuka and Hayama.

Feeling somewhat irritated, I was forced to say something, "They are just my classmates. And can you stop calling me that? Call me Hikigaya or something less formal."

The man sighed and then said with a smile, "I'm sorry but I can't do that, Bocchan. We got to treat you with the deserved respect and this is a tradition. Are you perhaps still angry with us?" Haruki had an extremely disappointed and sad expression on his face and now Totsuka and Hiratsuka were looking at me intensely. I could sense Hayama grinning in the background as well.

"N-No, I don't think so, Ha-Haruki… Let me present my group mates to you." _What a pain! Why the hell did I call him by his first name?_ Even though I had always thought that I was nothing but trash to most of my group members, I ended up treating this man as if I was really close to him. I barely knew him and I couldn't remember anything about him, but yet everything about him felt very familiar.

I needed to stop this weird type of interactions. At least my number one follower seemed to be extremely happy after hearing his 'Bocchan' treat him in such a good way, or whatever. The two females also seemed to be enjoying this type of developments. Damned females and their love for Yaoi interactions.

When I was about to present Totsuka and Hayama, Haruki raised his hand as if asking permission to speak and I let him do so, "I know these two youngsters fairly well, Bocchan. It seems like you still manage to attract good people, as expected of our leader."

Totsuka and Hayama were just as confused as I was. _He knows them?_ As if he could read my mind, Haruki continued, "At my right, we have Saika Totsuka the heir of Totsuka Pharmaceuticals and a longtime acquaintance of our family."

With a gentle smile, Totsuka said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." She was acting very shy and even somewhat nervous. Maybe she was still wondering if she really knew me or not. _I forgive you even if you don't remember me, Totsuka._ Mainly because I didn't knew exactly who she was too. Heck, right now I didn't knew who I was.

Bowing his head towards Hayama, Haruki continued, "Then we have Hayato Hayama. The son of one of the most influential couples in Chiba. His father, Mr. Hayama is an amazing lawyer and his services have helped us many times in the past."

Looking at Hayama, I saw him nod affirmatively and I could sense that this time his smile was more forced than usual, "It's as you say. It's a pleasure for me to be here."

"Shall we enter?" Haruki finally said the words that I wanted to hear. This tension was killing me and I felt like all of this was getting too serious.

Then something stupid came to my mind _. Why didn't he introduce Hiratsuka? Why are they sharing those secretive glances?_ Haruki led everyone inside with a gentle smile and then he approached me and gave me a one arm hug while looking extremely moved, "Welcome home, Bocchan."

After the touching moment with this emotional and loyal follower, we removed our shoes in the entrance area, which was a somewhat narrow hallway, which gave us two paths, one to our right and other to the left. These long halls connected the majority of the paths available in this house.

The inside of the house wasn't exactly glamorous, the interior was mainly composed of wood, the different rooms were accessible through simple sliding doors and we could exit to the exterior through some windowed room dividers. Everything was neat and decorated in a simple manner and most of the rooms were covered with tatami flooring.

"What shall we do first?" Haruki asked in an enthusiastic tone, which showed that he was really enjoying this. He seemed like a little boy who was happy to have his friends visiting his house.

"Maybe we should go to the living room and grab something to eat. I'm starving... What do you think, Totsuka and Hayama?" Hiratsuka the lazy glutton was acting like the leader of this horrible adventure and she was ignoring me completely.

"Oi, what about my opinion, woman? This is my house you know?" I asked in an irritated tone as I started to feel angry for being treated poorly in my own home.

Hiratsuka glared at me and she punched me in the gut, "Don't be rude to your guests, Hikigaya. Anyways, we had a tiring trip, so let's rest a bit and enjoy some food, okay? It's not like this is some serious business meeting or something like that." Her smiling expression towards me was anything but friendly.

Haruki decided to intervene, "Th-That's a great idea, right everyone?" Totsuka and Hayama nodded, looking somewhat intimidated by Hiratsuka's bad mood. At this point it seemed like Hiratsuka was the one in charge of this little tour and we were all following her orders, even Haruki.

Suddenly, one of the sliding doors that we were passing by opened and a small figure aimed a punch at Hiratsuka's face. Reacting in time, Hiratsuka jumped backwards and she blocked the incoming fist with her left lower arm, wasting no time to return the punch to the unknown blue blur.

"Sister! What are you doing?" Haruki screamed in panic, while my group and I stood in silence trying to avoid getting caught up in this unexpected development. We were too shocked to react to this situation. From our point of view, it seemed like Hiratsuka was fighting some type of ghost, because we were yet to see clearly the one who was crazy enough to defy Hiratsuka.

In the heat of the moment and after trading some punches with her opponent, Hiratsuka now had the advantage in this fight and while blocking a right punch to her face, she grabbed the opponent's fist like a professional martial artist and she threw her rival to the floor in front of us.

"Just give up, Haruka! You're still too young to beat me in a fight." Hiratsuka said proudly as she kept hold of a beautiful woman with pale skin, wearing a blue kimono. _Is she dumb? She just called herself old._

The woman was Haruka Maruyama the main aide of our family. She was a relatively short woman with a bob-cut and much like her brother, her eyes and hairs were dark, which made her a beauty that could rival the Yukinoshita's sisters.

Twitching on the floor, Haruka managed to push away Hiratsuka and she regained her balance and said with a calm voice that wasn't matching her hostility, "How dare you hurt my Master?" She quickly took a fighting stance while staying in front of me. Then, she glared coldly at her brother and said, "Haruki, you're still too soft. I should take your position instead! How can you permit this Gorilla to attack our Master like that?"

"Th-That's not true sister! Bocchan wouldn't get hurt because of something like that, he's a strong man! I-I think that Shiz- I mean, Hiratsuka was just trying to teach him how to act like a gentleman, right?" Haruki slowly walked in the middle of the two angry women who were still trying to hit each other. At first I thought that he was a brave guy, but in the end I concluded that he was just an idiot who was acting like a punching bag for the angry women.

I sighed in annoyance. Somehow, I felt like this was nothing new to me. Hiratsuka was acting aggressively like she always did when angered. Haruka was acting really clingy to me, while trying to defend me from the world. Haruki seemed really confused and he was acting as the peacemaker.

These twins of twenty five years old were among the most loyal supporters in our group. My grandfather treated them like family and they both had to carry some big responsibilities to protecting our name.

Haruki had become the provisional CEO of our company ever since my grandfather was hospitalized. His sister, was the one in charge of our house, somewhat similar to a head house-maid. These two were the ones who were the most affected when Komachi and I decided to leave this house and until today I still had no idea why they reacted like that.

As I started wondering what my relationship with them was and why they cared so much about me, I started to feel a strong headache and the noise that everyone wasn't helping. _Why the hell can't I remember anything properly?_ "That's enough! Stop this fighting, Haruka. And Haruki, continue the tour. This is getting pathetic…" I screamed in an unusual tone, which really demanded obedience and respect.

Everyone was stunned at my sudden outburst and Haruka kneeled in front of me, "My apologies, Master. I started acting childish after knowing that you were coming home."

Haruki followed his sister's example, "I'm sorry too, Bocchan."

Hiratsuka and my two group mates were just standing on the background with surprise on their faces as they watched me scold two adults, "Anyways, why don't we eat something then?"

Standing up, Haruka said in a childish manner, "I don't want to cook for that Gorilla."

Even if she spoke in a tone of whisper, I heard her perfectly and I whispered in her ear, "Please stop it Haruka or I'll get mad." I didn't mean to threaten her, but it felt like this was the best way to put a stop to her misbehaving.

Surprisingly, her reaction was way weirder than expected. She started blushing furiously and breathing really hard, "I-I'm sorry, M-Master." She wasn't sorry at all, in fact she looked happy to get scolded by me and I could read that by looking at her satisfied smile. This woman was a masochist and a real pervert. _Maybe she is the reason why I felt so comfortable in the maid café._

Sensing some pressure in the air, Haruki spoke, "Then, why don't we introduce you guys to one of our traditions?" Everyone looked at him weirdly and he continued, "You see, the Hikigaya family has this tradition of wearing traditional clothes inside the house, so three of you should change. Men, follow me!"

Hayama and I looked at each other and we followed the man in high spirits. I sensed that Totsuka wanted to say something, but she started following us too, probably to keep her act in front of the blond.

However, Haruka held Totsuka by her shoulders, "I'm sorry, Totsuka, but you're coming with me." Saying that the small woman dragged a teary eyed Totsuka to her room and I had lost sight of Hiratsuka in this confusion.

* * *

Some minutes later, we met at the living room, which was one of the largest rooms in this house. Hiratsuka was already seated on the ground in front of our wooden table, while watching some random TV show.

I found weird that she was wearing a different outfit. She was now dressed in a large red tracksuit, which suited perfectly her lazy personality and I was wondering where she pulled out the set of extra clothes. Hayama was now wearing a traditional green yukata that really made him look like a model.

On the other hand, I was stuck to wearing a white yukata with a blue swirl pattern on the bottom and ends of the sleeves, which was a high-quality replica of the clothes used by Sakata Gintoki. **[3]** I tried to choose other attire, but Haruki started to get really emotional, saying that this was the clothes that I loved the most when I was younger, because it was gift given by the twins in one of my birthdays.

I couldn't remember any of that to be honest. In fact, I was pretty sure that I had never received anything worthy of treasuring in one of my birthdays. My parents had always gave me crappy gifts.

Then, Haruka and Totsuka joined and the two of them were something else. Hiratsuka was a fine lady too, but when I saw the silver haired girl using a light pink kimono, I was surely struck by the cupid.

"Ooh, that color suits you Totsuka." Hiratsuka said loudly, making Totsuka blush madly.

Haruka looked at me with a weird glint in her eyes and she said teasingly, "Are we pretty, Master?" As she said that she spun elegantly in her feet, with a stoic expression that totally didn't feet the mood.

"Y-Yeah, whatever." I said awkwardly trying to cover my embarrassment. Those two were simply too beautiful. I stood up in a hurry and headed towards our kitchen, "I-I'm going to make something for us to eat. Please entertain our guests for a bit, Haruki, but don't tell them weird stories. Haruka, come with me."

At this point, I was sure of what I needed to do. I needed to speak with one of the twins and understand what was happening to me and having that in mind I thought that Haruka would be the safer option. She seemed to be really clingy towards me and I bet that I could use that to my advantage. We reached the kitchen and looking at my companion, I said, "What should we cook?"

"Something with meat. Sweets would be good too. I'll eat anything that Master cooks… It has been awhile since I tasted your food." Looking directly at Haruka, I noticed that she had a dreamy look on her face and she was even drooling.

I laughed a bit and said playfully, "Meat and sweets… Is that all you eat here?" She nodded and now I was starting to get worried, "W-What? That's not healthy... Aren't you the one responsible for this house? You need to cook some proper food for you and the rest of the people."

Hearing this, Haruka's expression changed quickly and now she had a sad smile on her face, "During normal days, I'm the only one inside of this house. Haruki is always on the company's HQ, grandfather is in the hospital and Master's parents rarely visit us. Ever since Komachi-sama and Master moved to Chiba this house has become a lonely place." I felt bad for her, the usual composed and serious woman looked really fragile and I didn't know what to say to make things better.

Wanting to prove my skills as a proper house-husband, I started cooking using Hachiman Style. **[4]** I decided to prepare some curry, adding a little a bit of beef as an attempt to satisfy the gluttonous appetite of the sad woman beside me.

"Master..." Haruka finally spoke after a couple of minutes of automatically helping me with the dishes, "What happened to you?" As she said that she pointed at my new acquired scar on my left eyebrow.

Unfortunately and unlike her brother, she was a serious person and I knew that sooner or later she would notice it, "Nothing much... I just fell." I said the same old excuse, hoping that she would forget this matter.

"I know that's a lie, Master. You were hurt pretty badly." Safely dropping the cooking knife she had on hand, she gently grabbed my left arm and stretched it horizontally, "Master, your left arm was broken and you still don't have sensibility on it." As she said that, she let go of my arm and it immediately started to shake like a leaf and I lost total control over it, falling back to place. She was right, I still couldn't feel my arm and I had been making a lot of effort just to keep it from shaking.

I sighed, "I had an accident, but I'm okay now. I'll explain it later, after those two leave." She seemed satisfied with my offer and she returned her attention to the stove.

Sensing an opportunity to talk about the topic that had been taken priority on my head, I said in a serious, "Haruka can I ask you something?" She nodded and I continued, "Can you tell me what happened to me just before I graduated from middle school?"

The white skin of the pretty woman became even paler when she heard my question. Even if she normally wore a stoic expression, I could sense that she was really agitated, "W-What do you mean, Master? Perhaps, you're talking about that field trip to Chiba." She wasn't lying, but I sensed that she was hiding the truth.

I decided to be blunt, "What happened to my memories, Haruka? Lately I've been noticing that I can't remember anything from the past and from what I can see, what I have become in the past two years is a different person that everyone around me remembers. Who am I? What happened to me, Haruka?"

In the heat of the moment, I started bombarding Haruka with a lot of questions and I even started to feel my face getting wet. I was crying and I couldn't even remember that last time I had did something pathetic as this. How sad.

Seeing my stupid reaction, Haruka hugged me gently and she started to pat my head in a really comfortable way, "It's okay, Master. I know that you're confused, but this isn't the right time to talk about this matter."

After she said, I felt an uncontrollable rage within me and I pushed her away, knocking down a glass of water, "What the hell do you mean with that? Am I supposed to live without having a clue of what happened to me? Do my parents know about this? What about Komachi? She seemed to have no clue… What the hell, this is a sick joke!"

Looking in Haruka's direction, I saw that her face was also dripping wet, "I'm truly sorry, Master. It was all our fault... Y-You were a victim of-"

When she was about to give me the questions that I wanted to hear for the past days, Haruki entered through the kitchen's door with a scary look on his face, "That's enough sister! What the hell are you doing!? We were told not to speak about what happened, not yet. What if Bocchan rejects his memories? Are you willing to put at risk the safety of your own leader?"

The happy-looking man now had a serious expression and his tone was harsh, he even seemed willing to start a fight with his sister. However, Haruka was not intimidated by her brother, "Master is already suffering, you idiot! He started to notice that his memories are missing… Do you intend to keep lying to him? I don't know the mission that the old man has entrusted to you, but from the very beginning I was in charge of protecting the siblings and Hachiman Hikigaya is the man I serve."

This time, I was the one standing in the middle of the two angered siblings, "Enough, you two!" With my roar, both of them backed away and they bowed their heads, "Now you'll listen to what I say and do as I say. We'll eat and act normally with those three and as soon as they leave this house, you'll answer my every question, understood?" I didn't know what the heck I was doing, but I felt like I was acting on instinct. My previous devastated and sad mood had changed and once again I was acting weirdly while ordering these two adults like it was a normal thing to do.

Haruka didn't say anything, but she nodded and bowed as if asking for my forgiveness. Her brother wasn't happy though, "B-Bocchan, you m-must understand that we can't tell you everything! We don't know the exact origin of your problem and we think that telling the truth might cause some extreme stress on your body... P-Please consider it, Bocchan."

After saying this, Haruki kneeled directly on the ground and bowed with his head until it touched the floor. I sighed, "…Please get up. I don't know what are you talking about, but I want you to tell me at least something about what happened to me… Lately I noticed that I couldn't remember clearly anything from my past and that's scary. You have to tell me something, it's the right thing to do." I decided to listen to his plead and for some reason I ended up saying that phrase that Kawasaki used against me.

* * *

After an awkward silence, the two adults decided to obey me without raising any problems and we ended up joining everyone else in the living room table. While we were eating, the mood was too hostile and not even Haruki was acting happily like before.

Suddenly, Hiratsuka decided to speak, "Mhmm, this is really good Hikigaya! I hate to say it, but you might become a fine husband."

I laughed a bit and almost choked on the water that I was drinking, I never expected Hiratsuka to recognize my skills, "I told you that in the future I wanted to become a house-husband, that's what I'm good at."

My joke made Hiratsuka laugh loudly, but she immediately threatened me with a punch. Soon after, my two classmates dropped their tension and the mood became better than before. "Don't say that, Hachiman." Totsuka said with a scolding look, "You can become someone amazing in the future! You're the heir of this family, right? You'll become a good businessman in the future."

Her cheerfulness made the old Haruki return, "Totsuka's right, Bocchan. You're supposed to become our new boss, the new heir of the company! You can't waste your talents on something so lame."

Haruka, which was sitting really close to me, coughed loudly and said, "I don't agree with that, brother. Master is great at everything he does. If he wants to become a house-husband than I'll support his decision and I shall become his wife."

I looked in shock at my aide's sudden marriage proposal and I saw that she wasn't affected at all by those idiotic words that she had just said. Everyone else was in shock at first, but seeing her reaction they took it as a joke and the table became an animated place.

"I never thought that you would have such a good friends around you, Hikigaya. You always seemed really lonely, but I see that my worries weren't justified." Hayama said with one of his usual smiles.

I had no answer for what he said. In reality, I had no clue of who they really were or what they meant to me. My memories of the twins were gone and so far I had only had a fuzzy dream that made me learn that I met Totsuka when I was younger. I also seemed to remember two girls from my middle school days, but I didn't know exactly why they were a special case.

"If Hikigaya acted more politely and stopped being an idiot, he could become as famous as the two of you." Hiratsuka said and I couldn't understand that she was trying to compliment me or offend me.

After talking about some random topics, we ended up agreeing in taking a more serious approach to the 'Workplace tour' to conclude this day. So, our guests were told to ask some questions that they might have. As always, Hayama took the spotlight, "Seeing that we couldn't visit the company's facilities, I would like to know what this business group does."

The energetic Haruki took decided to answer and I was glad for that, "First of all, we're terribly sorry that we couldn't receive you in the company, but Hiratsuka warned us about this event in a bad time and we couldn't arrange a proper tour. As you said, we are indeed a corporate group and our family owns the parent corporation. We help with the management of our subsidiaries and sometimes we can even provide some money for those in need, somewhat like a bank."

Hayama nodded and I had the impression that he already knew that this would be the answer, "Oh, I see, your group is amazing indeed. It must be really a really tough job and the responsibilities of having so many people depending on your group can become a big burden. But despite all that, I've also heard my father saying that the company's reputation isn't very good, especially among some politicians of Chiba. You know the rumors... They claim that most of your group's fortune was acquired through a past of illegal activities like gun and drug dealing and some say that you were even involved in human trafficking."

I gulped in shock after hearing the bold statement coming from his dirty mouth. He must be crazy to insult us in our own home. I started to feel angry and even though my relationship with my family was shaky. I really wanted to say something to protect our image - this was a feeling that I didn't know I had in me. Fortunately for me, Haruka seemed to have a keen instinct that could see through my mood changes and she immediately hold my hand from below the table.

Haruki laughed at Hayama's harsh comment and he said in a playful manner, "Maybe in the past, but who knows? Your father probably can answer your question better than anyone else, right? He's a lawyer after all."

With a smile on his face, my supposed right-hand man managed to make Hayama lose his fake smile and now he had a disgusted expression on his face, "I'm sorry if I offended you or the Hikigaya family, I was just curious about this topic. I wasn't specifically doubting your group's credibility, but as we all know lawyers and politicians make mistakes and now I understand that this applies to the Gaya-kai reputation."

After calming myself, I ended up realizing that Hayama's suspicions were not directed at us, but maybe at something or someone else. _Maybe the perfect Hayama has problems with his family too._

After hearing his clever answer, Haruki nodded and he said in his usual cheerful tone, "Well, I can't deny that this family had connections with the Yakuza in the past, but that was a long time ago… Some people can change other's lives with their strong will and that was exactly what happened after a certain old man became the leader of this group. He saved this family and he offered a new life to many other people. I wasn't always a good person too, but I was saved." As he said that he raised his left hand showing that the tip of his pinkie had been cut.

Hayama and Totsuka gasped in a mixture of shock and fear and Haruki continued, "You see, our family abandoned us when we were very young and we grew up in the streets accompanied with some bad people that were taking advantage of us. Then my sister and I met Bocchan's grandfather, a man that was willing to offer some street rats like us a second chance. To leave my previous gang and atone for my insubordination, I had to cut my own finger, but I don't regret it one bit. I traded part of my finger for a fulfilling life with people that I learnt to respect and love."

I didn't knew about their background and I couldn't deny that I was feeling somewhat sad after learning what these two went through. _Maybe my grandfather isn't that bad._ So, Haruki was a previous Yakuza gangster, which my grandfather helped by offering him and his sister a proper life. As a supposed criminal, he was lucky enough to escape with only a damaged pinkie.

Even if these the twins seemed to be somewhat shady, I felt like I could trust them, even if I didn't know the exact reason behind this blind feeling. Everything about my past and my family seemed new to me and once again I started to feel lost in my thoughts. I really wanted to know what happened, I wanted to know why I started hating these people so much. It seemed like I was living a happy life before, but my memories and feelings weren't matching with what people remembered about me. I had the impression that since young age, I was a lonely person who was hated by everyone. I was a mess, I didn't know what to think anymore.

"That's a scary and sad story, but it's like, very inspiring. Hachiman's grandpa seems like a kind person that enjoys to help other people." Totsuka commented with a kind tone, which really suited this heart-warming story.

After being silent for a long time, Haruka finally decided to speak with a nostalgic smile, "Yes, the old man is kind, but he's also very strict. Adjusting ourselves to life with a group of strangers was really hard for us, but I'm glad that I was adopted by this lovely family."

Agreeing with what his sister said, Haruki laughed out loud and then said, "That's true. Anyways, Totsuka don't you some questions? Anything will be fine, I know that this isn't a great tour, but I hope that you guys are having fun."

"Of course, today was a different day and learning more about my classmate was a fun experience." Hayama said with his normal kind tone. I really hated when he acted like that.

Totsuka was quiet for a while, seemingly lost in thought and then, she said, "I-I'm also enjoying this, especially after learning a little bit more about Hachiman. He always seems so sad and alone, I was glad to see a more carefree version of him. A-Anyways, I had something to ask, but it's not related to the tour, I-I mean, forge-"

Before Totsuka could take back her statement, Haruki interrupted her with enthusiasm, "No, no, that's not a problem. Just ask anything!"

Looking away with an embarrassed expression, Totsuka said, "Well, I wanted to know when I met Hachiman and you guys. My parents keep telling me that I had met and befriended you in the past, but I can't seem to remember anything and that makes me sad."

Haruki had a large grin on his face and he said kindly, "Don't blame yourself for that, it's normal to forget about something that happened a long time ago. You first met us during a summer vacation here in Chiba Village when both you and Bocchan were around seven years old. At that time, my sister and I were the ones in charge of taking care of the younger kids and we ended up spending a week together... Good old times."

Totsuka's worried expression vanished and she said, "I see, I don't remember it because we were really young... I'm sorry."

Noticing that the girl was feeling guilty, I said in a casual way, "It's okay, Totsuka. It's like they say, we can't change the past, what matters the most is what we do in the future."

Totsuka's and everyone around me looked at me in shock and I noticed that what I said sounded really emotional and personal. The silver haired girl seemed happier than ever and with an honest smile, she said, "You're right, Hachiman. I'll do my best!"

In the end, my words gave her a morale boost and some life advice. Soon after, Hiratsuka looked at the phone and after checking the time, she got up and said, "Guys, I think that this is all for today. I'll drive you home, so go get changed."

Hayama and Totsuka nodded and the twins got up to lead our guests, I was still seating near the table when my teacher spoke to me, "Why are you still here? Don't you want to go home too?"

I looked at Hiratsuka with a blank expression and I said, "I'm taking responsibilities, sensei, but what about you? Why do you keep lying to your student?" As I said that, I removed a small photograph, which was folded in my pocket and handed it to her.

Hiratsuka picked up the paper in curiosity and when she saw the picture her face became pale, "T-This... So, you finally found out why I'm so exigent with you, huh?"

I found the photo that she was holding in my closet when I went to change clothes. The said photo was really old and I could probably guess that it had at least ten years old. My younger self was on the photo, holding the hand of a chibi version of Komachi and there was a silver haired girl standing beside me and I was betting that it was Totsuka.

Behind the three of us, there were three teenagers and I immediately noticed that two of them were the twins who served my family.

However, the third teen in the photo really stood out for being a stunning beauty. Haruka seemed cute too in her young age, but this girl had the aura of a sexy but scary onee-san. The said girl that was giving me a headlock, had long black hair and some nice assets that my perverted eyes recognized instantly. It was Shizuka Hiratsuka and apparently we had also met each other before.

I laughed ironically and said to my teacher, "Yes, now I understand that you're a big liar and you can stop to try to help me like that. I don't need your pity and I don't need a childhood friend that can't be honest to me. You should just leave me alone before more people like Hayama get the wrong idea about our relationship."

Hiratsuka lowered her gaze and in a flash she approached me and slapped me. Surprisingly, this time her physical violence hadn't hurt. Her slap felt like a sting, it was nothing compared to her punches.

She looked angry, sad or even disappointed and she was crying. I was shocked at her reaction, this was the first time that I had seen her acting so fragile, "Y-You're a complete idiot, Hikigaya! I wanted to help you not just because you are my student, but because you were someone important to me and I couldn't bear watching you destroy yourself because of what happened... But you're still an egoistic bastard, doing whatever you want without caring about the others, Hikigaya. Tell the twins that I'm not coming back today."

After her emotional speech, she left the living room without even daring to look me in the eyes. She was hurting and I could see it clearly. She was right, I might not remember who I truly was, but I had the impression that I had always been nothing but trash. _Maybe I should apologize..._

* * *

[1] – Atsushi Murasakibara's skill in Kuroko no Basuke.

[2] – Reference to Digimon Adventure 02.

[3] – Gin-san iconic white yukata – Gintama.

[4] – Reference to Shokugeki no Sõma.


	10. Light at the end of the tunnel

**Edited: 29/01/17**

* * *

The Hachiman Hikigaya that I knew was a person who liked to be left alone. He was a guy who tried to avoid any type of confusion and sentimental attachment that could result from interaction with other people. I thought that even when I was young, I had always used my intimidating appearance and family background to keep everyone away, but it turned out that this was a lie.

Just recently, I started noticing the small inconsistencies in my memories and personality. I tried to deny it, ignore the facts, but I started to notice the small details and differences. One that I noticed recently was that despite trying to avoid people like Hiratsuka and Totsuka, I craved their attention. I wanted to be accepted and have someone by my side, but that wasn't the present 'me'. I was a loner by choice, an outcast and so, I was fine living on my own.

I thought that I had always used my 'bully' tactics to avoid a real confrontation with people, but once again I discovered that I was wrong. I finally understood that my annoyance and hate towards people like the Yukinoshita's sisters, Hayama and Hiratsuka was simply because their existence made my blood boil, in another words, we similar in some aspects and that made me confront them.

Thinking back on the previous encounters that I had with these people, I finally understood that every time that we clashed, I had enjoyed it. Maybe this was just me being a rebellious brat, like Hiratsuka usually said or perhaps it was my stupid pride.

…

 _What the hell is going on?_

…

I had no idea of what was happening to me, but after finding that photo and confirming with Haruka that something wasn't right, my mind went blank and I just wanted to know the truth, no matter what.

After that lovely talk with Hiratsuka, which resulted in me seeing her acting really fragile and insecure in tears, I started to feel like crap and I immediately started to regret some of my actions - many of them in fact and this made me conclude that no matter how different I was in the past, I had always been a rotten person.

Deciding that it would be a good idea to avoid any interaction with Hiratsuka and my two classmates, I stayed in the living room. As soon as everyone left, the twins joined me, sitting down in front of me with expressions that clearly showed how uneasy they were feeling.

Some time had passed since our guests had left the house and the three of us were still silent, not knowing how to break the awkward tension that my bad mood created. I was thankful for this little moment because it helped me calm down a little bit.

Just like before, Haruki was the first person to break the silence, "So, are we still going to have that serious talk, Bocchan?"

I nodded with a serious expression and Haruki sighed and said, "...I understand, Bocchan, but you have to understand that there are things that I might not be able to share with you now. We still don't know how you'll react and we'd never forgive ourselves for putting you in danger _again_."

"I get it... I'll make the questions and you two decide if it's safe or not to share the information with me." With a tone that clearly showed how annoyed I was, I proposed this terms, which the twins gladly accepted.

Just before I could blurt out the first thing I had on my mind, Haruki spoke again, "Bocchan, do you mind if I ask you something?" I grunted in irritation, but I let him continue anyways, "What happened with Shi- w-with Hiratsuka? She seemed really upset when she left."

Once again, I noticed that Haruki seemed really attached to my teacher. Well, it definitely was true that all of us had met in the past, but it seemed like my right-hand man had some special feelings for that woman.

"We had a little argument." Not wanting to prolong this drama, I confessed immediately and showed them the photo that I used to confront Hiratsuka.

Haruka eyes went wide and she made an expression which showed that she had a pretty good idea about what happened. Unfortunately, her brother was a little bit dense, "Ohh, this photograph is really old! This was the first time that we met Hiratsuka and the three of us were some of the instructors appointed to take care of you kids during that summer trip. Ahh, good memories."

Haruka sighed deeply and when she noticed the nostalgic grin on her brother's face, she slapped him on the back of the head and said, "Haruki you're still an inconsiderate idiot. This isn't the time to remember the time that you wasted flirting with that Gorilla! Don't you see that Master figured out that she has been lying to him and forcing him to change to his old self?"

Haruki finally stopped smiling after realizing the seriousness of this situation. His sister looked at me and gave me an apologetic look and I almost felt like accepting her marriage proposal. At least someone understood how I was feeling.

"It's just like Haruka said, I found out about her on my own at the worst time possible and I said some bad stuff that she probably didn't deserve to hear. Anyways, seeing that we are already talking about Hiratsuka, what can you tell me about her? To be honest, I can't remember anything about her." _Or you two..._ That was what I wanted to say, but I decided against it. I did know some stuff about them, but they were fairly recent memories from the time I spent here at this house, just before moving out with Komachi.

"Well, while I hate that woman, I think that it would be better if you talk with her directly, Master." Surprisingly, Haruka was the one speaking this time and once again she showed how considerate she was, "I can tell you that she was a problematic teenager when we all met, but you guys were able to bring out her motherly side and slowly, she became a better person. I don't know what happened between you two here tonight, but have a seriously talk with her, Master... She might be a Gorilla, but I'm sure that she has her reasons."

"...Yeah, I'll have to talk with her later, because I went too far." Haruka honest and serious words of advice made me understood that I had to stop acting like a spoiled brat and have a seriously talk with Hiratsuka. She smiled after hearing my words and once again the three of us were in an awkward silence that made start realizing that my head was full of doubt and unanswered questions.

...

 _Who am I?_

...

 _What happened?_

...

 _Why can't I remember anything?_

...

"D-Do I have amnesia or something?" Trying to calm myself and be rational about all of this, I ended up choosing to clarify the question that could probably connect all the dots.

Haruki sighed and I noticed that he didn't want to talk about this matter, but he didn't avoid the question, "Uh, that's a hard question, Bocchan... To be honest with you, not even the doctors diagnosed any type of memory loss caused after _that_ , but soon after, some of us started to notice your small changes and I think that you have some kind of rare amnesia condition-"

Before he could continue with his nonsense talk, Haruka interrupted him, "Let me explain, Master. At first, no one was able to identify your problem mainly because you still remembered faces, names, basic stuff that made us think that everything was alright with you. However, everything about you started to change, especially your personality, but we thought that it was just a normal thing to happen due to the trauma you went through and we ended up ignoring the situation."

Haruka made a small pause to breathe and she continued, "Slowly, it was clear to us that you couldn't remember who you really were and your memories prior to the _accident_ were gone. The only thing that remained the same was your relationship with Komachi-sama, but that was probably because she was always the closest person to you. We figured out that you created false memories about your past and while making some tests, the hospital detected that you were suffering from psychogenic amnesia."

My brain was about to explode after hearing the huge amount of information that Haruka had just dumped on me. I wasn't really a guy who understood scientific stuff with ease, but I knew that Haruka meant to say that I had lost most of my memories that occurred before the trauma. Apart from repressing my memories, it seemed like I had also created false memories that allowed me to escape reality.

I put my hand over my forehead, trying to recall any type of information that might let me remember what happened, but nothing came out. My mind was like a desert and I couldn't remember anything. "What happened?"

I said those words out loud and this made the twins freeze in anticipation. I sensed that this was a fragile topic and I knew that they were trying to find a way to avoid this question.

"I-I, w-we can't tell you exactly what happened, B-Bocchan. I'm so sorry." Haruki said in an apologetic tone.

"...Why not? Just tell me something, anything is fine." I insisted.

Haruki looked at his sister and he noticed the determined look in her eyes. Before he could stop her, she spoke, "We can't tell you anything specific, because the last time that we forced you to face the truth you had a huge panic attack that made you start avoid us and eventually it turned to hate. Master, you didn't want to accept the facts and we didn't know what to do anymore. The medics told us that your memory wouldn't be recovered from simply being told about your past and this could even worsen your situation, so we gave up on trying to bring back the 'old Master', hoping that one day you would notice that something was wrong."

I laughed sarcastically, not wanting to believe everything that I was hearing. I knew that everything that these two were saying wasn't a lie, but for me none of this made sense. This made me feel like I was trapped in a psychological anime series and I was afraid that I would eventually go mad and start having hallucinations and inner dialogues in my subconscious with a younger Hachiman with white hair that that tells me not to erase him. **[1]**

...

 _Is this really happening?_

...

"I don't believe it." My thoughts escaped my mouth and I softly murmured those words and unfortunately, it seemed like the twins had heard it.

"I'm sorry Master, but we're telling you the truth." Haruka said with her usual stoic expression.

Haruki was still silent and I knew that he was trying not to say something reckless. "What happened?" I asked them another serious question and both of them froze in shock, "If you're that worried, don't tell me the details. Shorten it to twenty words or less." **[2]**

Haruka was about to speak when her brother stopped her, "No, let me be the one speaking, Haruka... You're too blunt and you might tell Bocchan unnecessary information."

The black haired aide glared at her brother and she said with an irritated tone, "You've no right to say that to me, brother. You're denser than a harem protagonist and you have no sense of delicacy. Let me talk instead."

Despite being nervous and somewhat confused, I had to hold the urge that I had to laugh out loud, because this situation was too funny. Anyways, I understood that Haruka had a soft spot for me and this was probably her way of showing how worried she was.

"I'm sorry, but you can't do it. Anyways, I already thought of a vague way to explain what caused your loss of memory, Bocchan." He looked at me as if asking for permission to continue and I nodded, "You were kidnapped and held hostage for a week, Bocchan. The trauma caused by this made you develop this problem."

I was astonished by what I had just heard and this seemed like an unreal situation that would only happen on TV dramas. I closed my eyes and tried to make some sense of the information I had gathered.

My personality and the few memories that I thought I had were false and it looked like I was a totally different person in the past. Apparently, I wasn't a victim of bullying nor a social outcast and from what I understood, I was a pretty popular guy who had a bunch of good people around me - the twins, Totsuka and even Hiratsuka.

I sighed in desperation and I held my head with my palms. I was starting to feel awkward, my head was killing me and I had this sense of déjà vu running through my body. I wanted to remember everything, I wanted to know what happened. I closed my eyes and I tried to remember anything, any minor detail, but some seconds passed and I couldn't remember a single thing.

Then, when I was about to give up on finding the truth, my body froze and I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I started to panic and that was because in my head I had remembered something really bad.

It happened so fast, that I couldn't really tell exactly what I had seen. I started to feel nauseous and I felt the urge to start screaming in despair. Even though I was still conscious, my body wasn't responding and I lost all the strength of my arms and I had no longer something to support to my aching head. Following the domino effect, I lost all control of my body and I ended up falling backwards, hitting the tatami floor like a dead corpse.

My eyes were closed, but I could sense and hear the twins screaming my name as they joined my side a carefully picked up my body, "Master!" "What's wrong, Bocchan?"

 _"I hate heroes. Let's see for how long you'll be able to keep that defiant look."_ Another voice said, but this was a phrase that I had remembered along with the image that I saw previously. I had finally remembered something, but I was now starting to regret it.

The little flashback felt very real for me, almost as if I was still stuck in that scene. I saw myself tied up to a wooden chair with a cloth over my mouth. I was inside a small room and I was facing a strong white light. Unlike the cliché stories told by near death survivors, that light didn't mean salvation for me. This wasn't the light at the end of the tunnel that made me realize that I had surpassed all the difficulties thrown at me by this cruel world, no, this light meant the start of something terrifying for me.

* * *

After some time, I regained my senses and I slowly opened my eyes to notice that my head was lying on the lap of someone. I looked up and saw this woman with black hair, smiling at me with some tears on her eyes while muttering something that I couldn't understand.

...

 _Why is she crying?_

...

 _What happened?_

...

"I'm so glad, Master." The beautiful woman said with great affection, while caressing my head softly just like a mother would do. Maybe I should feel embarrassed and reject this kind of development, but I was so comfortable that I wouldn't even dare to move an inch. When was the last time I had felt like this?

I was sure that this woman wasn't my mother, but it felt like I had a really close bond with her. Finally waking up from my numb state, I knew that I was lying on Haruna's lap and I remembered that I had passed out after remembering _that_.

"Brother! Master is awake!" Haruka shouted loudly which made me flinch a bit.

Some seconds after, Haruki came running through the sliding door with phone on his hand, "Is he okay? I'm calling an ambulance."

"...I-I'm f-fine..." I managed to utter those words weakly. I didn't want to be sent again to the hospital - at this point I was sure that I developed phobia to that thing.

The twins traded some glances, but Haruki eventually dropped the phone on the table and took a seat next to us, "How are you feeling, Bocchan?" He asked gently.

"Like shit." I answered in a somewhat annoyed tone, but it was the truth.

"Are you sure really okay, Bocchan? I think that it would be a better idea to take you to the hospital." Haruki insisted and I only glared at him in response. He understood the message and gave up on his idea with a sigh.

I was about to fall asleep just from being petted like a lazy cat, but then I asked in curiosity, "I had a panic attack?"

Haruka's hand stopped caressing my head and she moved away my bangs, while saying, "Yes, Master... This probably happened because of our conversation."

In her eyes, I could see a glint of sadness and guilt and her brother was probably feeling the same. He wasn't looking at me and his hand was shaking. "It's not your fault." I said those words trying to comfort them. "...When I was abducted, was I tortured?"

I started to hear Haruka sobbing softly as she let out some tears that fell on my face. She quickly tried to regain her composure, but to no avail. Haruki looked at me with a serious expression and said, "Yes, that week was a living hell for a young kid like you, Bocchan... No one deserves that, but that's enough for today, we won't talk about this anymore."

His fierce tone made it clear that he had no intention of continuing this conversation and to be honest, I didn't want to know any more details. "...The person who did this... Is he arrested?"

Haruki looked away, clearly showing that he wanted to keep his word, but his sister answered me, "Unfortunately, no, Master. There were some suspects, but no one was found guilty and the crime is still unsolved…"

Haruki traded a warning glare with his sister and she immediately stopped talking about the matter. I ended up laughing weakly in a somewhat ironic way, because this all seemed like a lie and I was feeling like this was all just a bad dream.

"The old 'me'... Tell me how I was, before losing my memories." I said with some hesitation, but I really wanted to learn more about myself.

Haruki smiled a bit and said, "You were a really different person, Bocchan, but we can't blame you for changing. You were a really outgoing kid, a generous and humorous person who hated boredom - you were always seeking some type of adventure. You weren't so cold and closed to the world like nowadays, you were a very charismatic person that managed to be the center of the attention with your genuine and passionate personality."

 _Wait, what the hell is he saying?_ That sure didn't sound like Hachiman Hikigaya, the sad loner, but it made sense considering the image that Komachi had about me. "No way..." Those words escaped my mouth and I made it clear that I didn't believe a word he said.

Any of this made sense, this wasn't 'me' and I was sure that this person that he was talking about was already dead. _How is it possible?_ I thought to myself as I started to notice that the person that Haruki described was a lot similar to the image of our great Hayama, the king of my high school. _Don't tell me that I was a riajuu in the past..._

Haruka let out a cute giggle and said, "It's true, Master, you were exactly like that, but my brother is only mentioning your good traits."

Haruki froze and he looked away with a blush, "Shut it, Haruka! I was just trying to cheer up our Bocchan."

I didn't know why, but I was enjoying this conversation so, I said with a small smile, "Haruka, tell me more, please."

She smiled at me and continued to speak happily, "It's true that you were always a kind-hearted person who was very cheerful, but once you were angered, you were a different person, exactly like your grandpa, Master. Your pride and stubbornness always made you a very confrontational person, creating trouble every now and then. Being a smart kid, you were very sarcastic towards life and that made you a somewhat arrogant person. You were very independent, always trying to do everything on your own way, not accepting help from others and I think that was mainly because you never fully trusted anyone."

Haruka made a small pause to think about more of my personality traits and at the same time, I noticed that she had an expression that showed how much she was enjoying talking about this. I finally understood that I had indeed enjoyed every time that I had a dispute with others. I knew that I was prideful, but I thought that my objective was always to keep others away. Apparently, I had been wrong this whole time and I noticed that I had lost track of my real identity - I wanted to be left alone, but all my actions made me stand out even more and maybe that was what I really wanted. I still couldn't believe what the twins were telling me, but I had to say that now that Haruka was pointing out my flaws, I had to agree that this sounded more like me.

Regaining her train of thought, Haruka continued blabbering about my supposed personality, "Hmm, you were also self-centered, lazy and very dramatic. The old 'you' was always very honest and straightforward, which was good and bad. And-"

Haruki coughed loudly and glared at his sister that was now smiling weirdly at me with that with a creepy expression. After hearing so much bad stuff about me, I noticed that I was starting to get irritated and that was probably why she was enjoying this so much.

"Let's stop this conversation, it must be awkward for Bocchan to hear all this weird stuff about him." Finally the dense man realized that I was getting pissed off and decided to change the subject, "Do you want to look at some of your old photos from middle school, Bocchan?"

Feeling a little better and not wanting to arouse the perverted woman next to me, I took a sit normally and nodded to Haruki's proposal – I was really curious to learn more stuff about my past. My right-hand man immediately rose up and exited the room in a hurry.

Seconds after, he returned to the living room with two picture frames and showed them to me, "These are probably some of the last good memories that you made, Bocchan."

Despite of his description, when I looked at the photos I felt nothing good. No happiness or nostalgia, only confusion and a tinge of sadness. I took a closer look at the first 'good memory' and I noticed that the said photo was taken outside of a classroom, which was identified as the 'student council'.

Including me, there were two other people on the photo and we were all wearing a weird red armband on the left arm, "Uh, wait, I was part of the student council?" I asked in a high pitched tone.

The twins nodded and Haruki decided to explain, "You were the vice-president for two years and those two were some of your friends, Bocchan."

This was surely some amazing news, Hachiman the loner and the most awkward and lazy person was actually part of the student council and it seemed like it was true that I had some friends in the past. The old 'me' had his arms over the shoulders of the two other council members and he was smirking with a carefree expression - this guy wasn't me, or so I thought.

Taking a closer look, I tried to identify my old middle school 'buddies' and to my right there was a tall boy with a short and wavy dark hair, which was wearing the school's outfit in a neat and proper manner - if I was the vice-president, this guy had to be the one in charge. He seemed really mature and smart and a very serious person too. As expected, I didn't knew who he was and looking at his stiffened expression, I couldn't say if we were close or not.

On my left side there was this smaller girl with a curly hairstyle and somehow I felt like I remembered something about this person, a faint memory that marked the rest of my middle school days, but once again my head was like a desert. Looking at her brown eyes beaming with excitement and her cute smile I ended up concluding that this photo must had been modified, because there was no way the Hachiman Hikigaya could get along with someone like her - unless I was a popular in the past, which seemed to be true.

"I-I, why did I join the council?" I murmured softly, but unfortunately Haruka was too close to me and she heard it.

She smiled briefly and said, "Well, you were the type of person who liked to help others and I think that you joined the student council to prove your grandpa that you were a responsible person with good leadership skills."

"Yes, that's right, Bocchan! At that time the old man kept scolding you for being too lazy and carefree and to prove him wrong you decided to show him that you were also very responsible and mature when needed." Haruki added some detail to this mystery of why I would do such a troublesome thing.

Apparently, it was true that in the past I was really prideful and it seemed like I was also living a happy life – my reality was now shaken, because the image that I had about myself, the outcast since young age, someone who had to scare others away to protect himself, was all fake. My life was a lie and almost a tragedy. I was just hoping that unlike what happened to that kid with glasses, fate wouldn't take away my blonde violinist. **[3]**

Taking a look at the other picture frame that Haruki brought to the table, I almost choked on my own spit and regretted immediately my previous inner thought, "W-Who the heck is this girl?"

In this photo, which was taken in a tennis court, I was being hugged by a blonde girl and the two of us were holding a golden trophy with happy smiles on our faces. The said girl had a short haircut and she was wearing a sporty outfit and I was pretty sure that I could guess who she was. That fierce gaze, that blonde hair and well-toned body... _This girl, no way..._

Haruka was avoiding looking at me, but I knew that she was really irritated by something, perhaps even jealous. Haruki laughed out loud and said, "Bocchan, you see, you were always a heart-breaker and that girl was really close to you. What was her name? I think you called her Mia or something sweet like that and that photo was taken on the day that she won a regional championship. You two were always together during middle school, but eventually she moved away…"

"Tch, don't say that brother, that woman wasn't anything special to our Master..." Her tone of voice was really cold and she kept glaring intensely at the photo in irritation and now I knew that she was definitely jealous.

I tried to ignore the fuming woman and asked her in curiosity, "Do you know her name, Haruka?" I was almost sure about who she was, but I wanted to make it clear.

"How could I forget this bitc-, I mean, this beautiful young lady. She is Yumiko Miura, one of my first love rivals, but she was never a challenge for me. I always loved Master above all else and I would never abandon you." Her scary face and the jealousy of her words made me start to worry about this.

...

 _What kind of relationship did I have with her?_

...

That was what I wanted to ask, but Haruki hold his hands in front of his sister and tried to stop her yandere act, "Now, now, let's relax and not make a fuss about this okay, Ha-ru-ka~? Anyways, it's getting late Bocchan and I think that I should drive you back home, because Komachi-sama might start to get worried."

Speaking of my dear sister, "Does Komachi know what happened? She never talked with me about this and she doesn't seem to understand why I changed so much."

Haruki looked away with a sad expression, probably feeling some type of guilty and after calming herself, Haruka was the one who answered, "No, Master, she doesn't know what happened. How could we tell a small girl that her beloved brother was kidnapped and probably tortured for a week? We didn't want to traumatize her too and so we decided to hide it from her. Since your relationship with her never changed, our lies worked perfectly. It's not like we wanted to lie to Komachi-sama, but she was too young-"

"Thank you." I said wholeheartedly, interrupting her messy excuse. I was truly happy to know that Komachi didn't have to suffer too. "It seems like we are all a bunch of liars." I added sarcastically.

* * *

Soon after, the mood became weird again and that was when I decided to ask Haruki to take me home. I just wanted this day to end and hopefully have some alone time to think about everything that happened today – hopefully my problems would disappear with a good night of sleeping.

Considering that it was already late at night, the trip back home was taking longer than expected because of the huge amount of traffic. Haruki and I were in silence for most of the ride and I could still feel the previous tension lingering in the air.

I ended up trying to kill some time with my phone, texting Komachi telling her not to worry because I was already heading home. Her answer was short and that almost break my heart. My sister wasn't worried about me and she was starting to get too independent - or maybe I was just being dramatic and she was just trying to show me that everything was fine and I should stop being such a worrywart.

Seeing that my sister wouldn't help her brother feel less awkward and kill some time, I ended up joining an online chat room that Zaimokuza had recommended some time ago, through an email. Apparently, this chat room was used by people who live in Chiba and only those invited by registered members could join it. I had to say that this was a clever way to prevent the overflowing of users and luckily for me, it seemed like my otaku partner had some good connections.

 _8boy has entered the chat room._

 _8boy: 'Evening_

I said as soon as I joined, noticing that there were only two other members online - it was dinner time, so it was normal. I had to admit that my nickname was quite clever.

 _Shiro-tan: Oh~ A new member, welcome!_

 _Maestro: Welcome (*.*_ _)_ _ノ_

 _8boy: Thank you. The thing is, I moved recently to Chiba and I've been a little stressed after seeing the news about the recent crime wave. Is there a reason to be scared?_

 _Maestro: Oh, that's a difficult question._ _;) You shouldn't worry too much about this type of stuff. You just need to be careful and surely you'll avoid any type of danger, but it's like they say: curiosity killed the cat. Act normal and you should be fine, but there are people who attract problems…_

 _Shiro-tan: Let's not be so serious about this. Yes, it is true that Chiba has been having some problems lately, even in my high school conflicts started to show up, but this is still an amazing place to live._

 _8boy: Hmm, thank you for your advice, Maestro. You seem to like the kind of person who loves their city, Shiro-tan. It's scary to know that kids aren't protected, even in school._

This conversation wasn't going nowhere, thanks to the way that this 'Maestro' person answered my previous question. It seemed like my intentions were found out and perhaps I was too obvious with my curiosity.

 _Maestro: Yeah, that's the harsh reality, unfortunately._

 _Shiro-tan: It's really troublesome to deal with all of this stress. (_ _◞‸◟_ _；_ _) There have been some cases of bullying and violence that makes everyone more agitated than normal._

 _8boy: Eh, really? That sounds bad, hopefully they'll treat the new guy in town with love._

 _Maestro: Haha! Surely they will, you only need to adjust yourself to the new environment._

 _Shiro-tan: Anyways, have you guys heard about the new app that everyone has been talking about?_

 _8boy: Nop, I don't really use my phone that much._

 _Maestro: Not really, tell me more~_

 _Shiro-tan: You guys are no fun! It seems like it's almost similar to a RPG game, where we can make progress with our daily activities._

 _Maestro: That seems interesting. Ah, being young is amazing._

 _8boy: You say that our actions in real life makes us better (or not) in the game?_

 _Shiro-tan: Yeah, something like that, probably. I'm not sure about it, because I haven't had the time to try it - I have been busy with school and stuff. But some friends told me that there are daily events that we can complete IRL and that system allow us progress in the game. You can choose different classes and some of our personal information might even influence our game character too._

 _Maestro: It sounds cool and I might test it, but at the same time I find this whole thing very weird..._

This was exactly what I was thinking. If this said app used our personal information that could be somewhat dangerous and not to mention that this daily event system sounded like a perfect tool that a crime organization would use to have some random kids doing some dirty work, anonymously.

 _8boy: Interesting... I might test it out later. Can you tell me the name of this app, Shiro-tan?_

 _Shiro-tan: Ah, I'm sorry 8boy, but I don't remember that name right now - I'm a real airhead, sometimes. m(._.)m Anyways, it's time for dinner, we'll talk later guys._

 _8boy: No problem at all, but if you remember the name of this app tell me, okay? Bye and thanks for the advice!_

 _Maestro: Bye~ Shiro-tan, see you later._

 _Shiro-tan has left the chat room._

 _Maestro: I'm having dinner soon too, so I must leave the chat room. (;_ _﹏_ _;) It was nice meeting you though, you seem like a funny guy 8boy._

 _8boy: Er, thanks... I feel the same, I guess?_

 _Maestro: Hahaha! Are you perhaps a bashful boy? Interesting~ an awkward boy acting like a scaredy-cat._

 _8boy: Hmm, it's not like I'm scared, I was just curious and maybe even excited... Anyways, weren't you leaving? Well I'm leaving too, cya' later then._

This person was weird and somewhat creepy, but this little chat time was interesting and it helped me forget some of my current problems. _Maybe I should do this more often._

* * *

[1] – Reference to to Tokyo Ghoul: re.

[2] – Reference to One-Punch Man – a funny line used by Saitama.

[3] – Reference to Kousei and Kaori, from the series Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso.


	11. Out of character

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

Since yesterday, I was being tormented by three specific words: past, lies and memories. I spent all night thinking about the real meaning behind these words, but I ended up feeling like I was trapped in a paradox and I couldn't find a logic explanation to what was happening in my life.

The reason for this was simple, yesterday I confirmed that my life was a lie and I had no memories regarding my past. Such an ironic situation, I had run away from home to live a peaceful life, but it seemed that I was bound to attract misfortune, just like a magnet. I started to think that I never had a peaceful life.

I finally understood what people meant by saying that memories could warm you up from the inside or completely tear you apart. It was true that I wanted to learn more about myself, but as soon as I remembered _that_ , I started regretting my stupid curiosity - that disturbing memory and that blinding light didn't let me rest all night, I was simply too afraid.

Using Haruka's words, I was also feeling lost and confused. Apparently, the current 'Hachiman' was nothing but an illusion created to protect myself from the trauma that I went through. I had no idea of what to do now.

I wanted to remember the good things about my past, but it looked like I was only allowed to relive the worst moments, over and over again. I was able to confirm that life was indeed cruel, because the good memories were all gone and the old scars were once again open.

Even if part of me still denied everything that the twins told me yesterday, I also knew that the inconsistencies about myself were finally beginning to make sense and this made me understand that the present 'me' was truly a fake, a façade.

I always wondered why I had chosen to play the role of a delinquent, instead of simply ignoring everyone and live a peaceful life as a disgusting loner. I thought that I wanted to avoid attention and keep everyone away, but my actions only helped me become the target of everyone's attention and that was perhaps what I truly wanted – considering that I was a riajuu in the past. I probably never had the intention of living peacefully as a loner, instead it seemed like I was searching for an exciting life that could satisfy my huge ego.

To be honest with myself, I had never noticed that I was such an arrogant person, but thinking back on my previous interactions with many of my schoolmates, it was clear that I wasn't acting cold or intimidating, but instead I was being very confrontational and assertive, showing that I was a confident and proud bastard – I had been acting like a total jerk, exactly like those 'cool' guys that I hated so much.

My head was a mess and I still couldn't believe that I was a whore that acted like a delinquent to get attention. What the twins had said was right, subconsciously I had become the Drama Queen of this school with my stupid façade. Now that I realized what I had been doing with my life, I started to feel bad for myself, I was truly pitiful and disgusting.

There was something that Haruka had said to me last night that was stuck in my mind: _'Master, I know that you are really confused, but it's okay, just live one day at time. You know, the old Master was exactly like that, you were a person who always did what he wanted. Just follow your heart, Master.'_

 _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ That was really irrational and I couldn't see me acting like that, but once again I was forgetting that I was probably a positive thinker in the past - at least from what I heard, I had the essential traits of a go-getter.

...

 _Is it really okay for me to do what I want?_

Heck, I wasn't even sure of what I wanted. However, I knew that there were still some loose ends that I had to fix. I needed to talk and apologize with Hiratsuka and I had to confront Yumiko Miura and my dear sister, in order to clear some doubts about my past.

In the end, I decided that I should talk with Komachi later, mainly because I didn't want to ruin our good mood again and if I started talking about this certain topic, I would have to tell her that I had no clue of who I was and I didn't want to worry my sister.

Following the illogical advice of Haruka, I decided to do what I wanted, or at least what I thought that was best for me and so, I skipped Hiratsuka's morning class and went to do some shopping.

No, despite everything that had happened to me, I was still somewhat sane and I wasn't doing this just because I wanted to start acting like the popular guy that I once was. In the heat of the moment, I ended up concluding that it would be far wiser if I tried to win back Hiratsuka's motherly side by doing something sweet.

Although this was a huge gamble, I was sure that it would be better to avoid her first, in order to gain her attention, which would eventually lead to my embarrassing apology scene. This was a typical move that many of the girls from the novels used to get the protagonist's attention and this clearly meant that I was playing the female role.

Having in mind that, in my opinion, this teacher was still a kid in a woman's body, I decided to go buy some special gifts that should help me gain some Hiratsuka points. Hopefully a box of chocolate and some shonen manga would be enough to justify my morning absence and calm her hellish rage.

Sometime later and just before the end of Hiratsuka's class, I went to the staff room to left the said gifts in her small desk. Thankfully, the teachers that were in the small room seemed to accept my excuse, after all I was just a student who was delivering some items that Hiratsuka had confiscated from me during her class, nothing more.

Even if it was a dumb mistake, it actually worked perfectly because I ended up leaving in her desk the Weekly Shonen Jump, where I had hidden a small letter and, to conclude my smooth move, I offered her a box of chocolates. If everything went according to my plan, this would make her somewhat happier and after reading my letter, she would probably accept to talk with me privately.

I waited for the annoying sound of the bell to enter my classroom. It was the lunch break and the small room packed with desks and chairs was a lot quieter than usual.

Looking around I noticed that most of the members from Hayama's clique weren't present, but my eyes and curiosity made me look in the direction of a certain blonde girl, the Queen Bee and also my acquaintance from middle school.

She noticed my staring and she returned my gaze with an intense scowl, which made me ignore her and keep moving towards my seat. It was unbelievable that the two of us were friends in the past, because it really looked like she hated me.

Trying to relax my body against the hard and uncomfortable chair, I tried to ignore the venomous glares and words from my idiotic classmates. Today I was so disheartened that I didn't even wanted to scare them with my usual bully tactics. _Say whatever you want, idiots._

"He's the idiot that went with Hayato on the Workplace tour."

"Hayato is really a nice guy! Who would want to pair with such a creepy person?"

"I know, right? I heard that his family are all gangsters."

"Shhh! Don't speak so loudly, he might hear us."

The last bitch who spoke was right, I heard everything, but I couldn't care less. Today I was just acting on autopilot, simply wishing that I would be able to sort out my thoughts.

I was so distracted and immersed in my own world that I didn't even noticed that an angel was standing in front of me with a pleasant smile, "Hachiman, good morning!"

"Oh, what's up, Totsuka?" I answered with a really bored tone.

She sat in front of me and looked at me with a serious expression, "Is something wrong, Hachiman? Did something happen with you?"

I looked at her weirdly and answered, "What do you mean? I'm just fine, better than ever." I didn't mean to be sarcastic or cold towards her, but the fact that she could always notice my mood swings was getting annoying.

"H-Hachiman, I'm very worried, you know? Yesterday you didn't come back with us, you skipped Hiratsuka's class and she was very angry all morning… Something happened and I want to help you, I want you to trust me and depend on me. I know that you probably think that I'm very annoying and if you want I can stop bothering you."

The sensible and docile girl was now being very direct and rather aggressive, exposing her true intentions so openly. "I'm sorry, I was being an idiot." I knew that I had hurt her feelings, I could see it in her face. "Look, Hiratsuka and I had a fight, but hopefully everything will be solved. Sorry if I made you worry."

Totsuka was now pouting and looking away, "It's okay, I'm not that angry, I just don't like the way you act... You are never honest with yourself and you always push everyone away. If you need someone to talk you know that you can rely on me, right?"

I gave her a weak smile, "…I know, you're a very reliable and determined girl... T-Thank you." Being honest and showing true gratitude was really difficult.

Totsuka was surprised by my streak of honesty and she simply smiled at me happily. Thankfully she didn't try to pressure the issue and I took this opportunity to change the subject, "Aren't you going to train today?"

I knew that she usually trained during lunch break and noticing that she was wearing her green sporty outfit, I was curious. She looked at me with a disappointed face and said quietly, "I-I, yes, I was about to go train... But it's really sad that the other members still don't share a bit of my determination. It's better than before, but usually just a couple of people appear for this extra sessions and they end up not practicing seriously."

That story again, well I was sure that nothing would change in such a short period of time, but it was still disappointing to see her like this. Her club mates clearly didn't share her love for tennis, "Yeah, it's a pain, but everyone is lazy by nature and no one will be serious about their club activities unless they do it for personal enjoyment."

My logic explanation only made her cute face gain a dejected look and she stood in silence thinking about what I had just said. Seeing her sad was killing me, "...Uh, I can be your sparring partner if you want."

"What!?" Even if I said with in a low and bashful tone, Totsuka had heard me perfectly.

Her excited tone made half of the classroom jump in surprise and once again, I was starting to feel the gazes focusing on me, "Tch, don't be so loud." Yes, I was very embarrassed. "I said that I'll help you train a bit today. If you want to, of course..."

Totsuka's eyes were gleaming with enthusiasm and she immediately answered me, "O-Of course I want your help, Hachiman! B-But is it okay for you to play tennis? What about y-your arm? I don't want to be a nuisance, really!"

Looking at her with attention, I noticed that her mouth was spouting something that contradicted her body language. She was really happy and I felt like she just wanted to make sure that I was being honest, "Don't worry, I think that a little physical activity won't kill me. At least that was what your fath- I mean, the doctor said."

"Yay~ thank you so much, Hachiman! I'm going to get things ready, we'll meet at the court, okay?" She said with a great joy and grabbed my hands, squeezing them tightly, as if she was afraid that I would break this promise.

Sensing once again everyone's attention on me, I nodded weirdly and Totsuka let go of my hands and exited the classroom humming a song with a happy expression. Once again I had followed Haruka's advice, deciding to go with the flow, but I still didn't know if it was okay for me to act like in this carefree manner. _This is pretty out of character for someone like me, right?_ I didn't even know how my character was supposed to be, so maybe it should be fine for me to start acting on instinct, or something like that.

I was moved when I saw Totsuka so sad and I felt like I wanted to help her and that was what I was about to do. Part of me wanted to go back in time and redo this scene, but I wouldn't back down on my word because I truly wanted to help her. I was having a huge conflict of personalities and Rize was slowly devouring my sanity. **[1]**

As promised, I rose from my seat and made my way towards the tennis court. Just before exiting the classroom, I noticed a certain blonde haired queen glancing in my direction. I felt like she wanted something from me, her scary glare was clearly demanding some attention, but since I was a rebellious brat, I ignored her and prepared myself mentally for some exercise time with a cutie.

* * *

Some minutes passed after I started practicing with Totsuka and even if I was a lazy scum, I had to admit that I was actually enjoying this. The other tennis club members kept staring and talking shit about me, but the smile on Totsuka's face was enough to defuse my rage.

Exactly as she said, only a couple of male fags appeared to the training session and I concluded that this little angel was manlier than any of those guys who spent most of their time gossiping about us – they seriously needed some testosterone.

Totsuka wanted to train her footwork and agility and she asked her sparring partner, Hachiman Hikigaya, to make some difficult shots that would make her take things seriously. Her motivation and love for this sport was starting to show as she started to take this hitting session as if it was a real match.

She kept returning every shot that I threw at her with an amazing tenacity and I could actually see how much she had improved since the last time that we played during P.E. She was faster and her shots were much harder to respond – the girly Totsuka was a completely different person when she was playing tennis. Her seriousness was contagious and I was also getting motivated to help her improve.

Just as I started to get serious and tried to use all my strength in every shot, I started to feel a sharp pain on my left arm every time that I had to swing the racket with both hands. Suddenly, Totsuka conceded an easy point and coming closer to the net she said, "Are you okay, Hachiman? You seem really tired and your shots are starting to get weak... Is your arm hurting?"

Her voice and expression was full of concern and once again her attentive and caring personality was seeing through me. "...Er, yeah, I might need to take a small break." I said chuckling at how pathetic I was, "I haven't done any exercise for a while now and I'm really out of it."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were tired? Jeez, you always force yourself so much, Hachiman." Suddenly Totsuka started scolding me with a cute annoyed expression and once again everyone was staring at us.

I sighed and said, "Yeah, yeah, I know that you want me to depend on you, but I've told you that I'm not exactly a normal person... Anyways, I was enjoying playing with you and that's why I didn't want to say anything." That and the fact that I didn't want to look lame in front of a girl.

"Really?" She blurted out in surprise and I looked at her in confusion, "Were you really having fun?"

Crap, that slipped out of my mouth and I ended up saying something embarrassing, "Hmm, y-yeah, it wasn't that bad."

Totsuka let out a cute smile and then, she said, "Sometimes you can be really nice and honest, Hachiman. I'm glad that I haven't given up on being your friend. Uh, I'm going to practice my serve just to finish for today, w-will you wait for me?"

I averted her gaze with all my might, feeling my cheeks getting really hot and I ended up nodding affirmatively without even understanding what she had asked. I started to walk towards the nearest bench, trying to stop myself from acting like a maiden in love, but I had to admit that being complimented felt really nice.

As I sat down, I started to wonder if I had been this happy in the past. This little moment of interaction with Totsuka was so enjoyable that I was starting to understand that being treated nicely was way better than being treated like trash. _I like this type of life._

Being lost in my thoughts, I only noticed that someone was sitting next to me when the wind blew and I inhaled a really appetizing strawberry scent. Not wanting to be rude, I gazed sideways and imagine my surprise when I saw a familiar blonde girl sitting next to me with an awkward expression on her face.

This girl was none other than the school's Fire Queen and she clearly wanted me to break the silence. _This is so awkward! Huh, what the hell is she doing here and why is she so quiet?_

Anyways, I had planned to talk with her, but this wasn't the best timing, I mean, this situation was the worst. I was sweaty, very tired and my brain wasn't working properly because Totsuka had made my heart skip a beat.

 _What should I do?_ I didn't have a clue how to deal with girls of her type and every line that I came up with in my head didn't fit this type of scenario – two old friends, a boy and a girl meeting again after some years of suffering on their own. This started to look like a romantic encounter and I could see a white flag with a heart appearing over her head. **[2]** Well, I would try and say something cool, the first thing that I could come up with.

"The sun... is hot." As I said my riajuu phrase, I looked at the sky and realized my stupid mistake, what I had just said wasn't cool at all, because it was just a normal line.

I looked at my old friend and I noticed that she was biting her lip, trying hard to contain a good laugh and that definitely showed that she was not impressed. Crap, I had really messed up and I wasn't feeling embarrassed, no, I simply wanted to die.

Anyways, as a prideful man who apparently cared about his reputation, I had to fix this mess. _Calm down and think, Hachiman!_ I raised my head and looked ahead with a distant look as I started to feel inspiration flowing through my veins.

...

"...The wind is troubled today." As I said that, I adjusted my bangs with my right hand, copying the moves that the western actors did to look appealing. After saying this, I noticed that I ended up making a reference to a series that I really liked and now I was feeling embarrassed.

Stealing a glance at Miura, I noticed that she also had a serious expression on her face, she was playing along. Looking at the distance, she said calmly, "...But this wind is weeping just a little."

 _Whaaaat!?_ I raised my hand to cover my mouth, because I really wanted to laugh. _This girl... She just answered my reference with the right line._ I never knew that the scary and intimidating was also a manga fan, not wanting to mention that I never thought that she would have such a great sense of humor. **[3]**

She turned her head to the side and she let out a loud laugh as she hugged her sides trying to control her emotions to no avail. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit too, the ice was officially broken and I hated to admit that somehow everything that was happening felt right.

"You've changed, but your sense of humor is still great, Hikio." She said while wiping the tears of her eyes, she clearly was also enjoying this.

I sighed and decided to go straight to the point, "…So, what do you want?"

She looked at the tennis court and said, "I wanted to talk with you about things... I'm tired of running away and I still can't accept that I lost another bet to you."

I chuckled sarcastically and said with an annoyed tone, "Huh, you're still thinking about that? It was only luck, a fluke. Anyways, I don't care about a stupid bet. Oh, but I'm sorry if I made you look bad in front of your crush."

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Her scary gaze and venomous tone was back, this was the Queen Bee that the present Hachiman knew.

"Nothing at all... It's just obvious that you are infatuated with the handsome Hayama." Once again I wasn't being myself and I was starting to act like a jealous guy that got left behind by his friend.

Pursing her lips in annoyance, she huffed loudly and said, "Even if what you say is true, why do you care?"

I simply shrugged away her irritated comment, because I didn't know what to answer. I had no clue why I was acting like this. However, the blonde was already too angry, "You're talking about me, but you seem to have a weak spot for that little thing over there... You always had a fetish for younger and fragile girls." As she finished her blow, she pointed her finger towards Totsuka, smiling at me smugly.

Now this was getting ridiculous and we were starting to lose control over our emotions. Even I was getting somewhat angry after she mentioned Totsuka. I sighed inwardly and I decided to swallow my pride, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Crossing her arms in annoyance, Miura clicked her tongue as she looked away. Once again we were silent and it seemed like the mood had been reset with our stupid fight.

I wanted to talk with her, but as I thought, this wasn't the right time to do it. I wasn't mentally prepared for this and now I had to break the ice again. I looked at her and a questions popped up in my head, "What's our relationship?" Crap, I ended up blurting that out and the blonde girl had heard me clearly, because she was now glaring at me with hostility.

"W-What? Be careful with what you say, idiot! People might get the wrong idea." After saying this she looked around to make sure that no one was listening. "Hikio, be honest with me, do you remember me?"

After making that question, her expression softened and her eyes were filled with an emotion that was unknown to me, "I-I-No, I don't remember you. I now know that we were friends in the past, but I have amnesia and everything is fuzzy to me."

Miura's eyes widened in surprise and she covered her opened mouth with her hand, while avoiding to look at me, "...I c-can't believe it, you really can't remember me, huh? That explains why you were acting so weird back then... I-I was terrible to you..."

Noticing that she was looking down at her legs with a sad expression, I sensed that she might know something important about what happened to me and for that reason, I tried to pressure the issue, but she nodded negatively. "I-I'm sorry, Hikio, but can we talk about this later? I don't think that I'll be able to lose you again..."

 _What?_ I didn't know why, but apparently she still thought of me as her friend and whatever happened between us in the past probably caused her some type of trauma too. "You're free to do what you want. It seems that you went through a lot too and I'm sorry for that... Can you tell me a little bit more about us? As you might have noticed, I forgot everything about my life."

Miura looked at the clear sky with a thoughtful look and this time she spoke calmly, "I'm sorry if I end up hiding stuff from you… I feel like if I told you everything now, I might end up losing the only thing that still connects us and that's scary, so please, just give me some time to think. "

Hearing the mighty blonde Queen speaking with so much emotion, made me feel paralyzed. She was suffering and it seemed like she wanted to meet her friend once again, but I wasn't the same person. "You started acting differently ever since _that_ happened, but I didn't want to believe that you had forgotten everything... Now everything makes sense, but I was too selfish to notice that my precious friend needed my help, you told me to keep living and that was what I did when I moved away."

She made a small pause to think and I thought that it would be better if I didn't interrupt her and she soon continued to talk with a nostalgic smile, "You know, we were really good friends or at least that was how I felt."

"How close were we exactly?" I asked weirdly, because to be honest this version of Hachiman had no experience at friendship and I believed that a man and a woman couldn't be friends without having any ulterior motives.

She looked at me weirdly, her cheeks gaining a little bit of color, "W-What the heck are you saying, idiot? That makes no sense, I just told you that we were friends, d-don't get the wrong idea!"

I was surprised to see that the powerful Fire Queen also had a bashful and cute side. "I mean, I'm sorry, I just can't believe that we were friends... We're so different."

"Well that's because of your amnesia, surely. We weren't that different in the past, you know? In fact, we got along so well, because we were pretty much the same." This time, she spoke with confidence, her well-developed chest swelling with pride.

I had to hold the urge to chuckle, because she was being a little bit childish and now, I couldn't the Queen Bee as an intimidating woman anymore. "What do you mean by that? Tell me more." I was curious and couldn't stop thinking about it and hopefully, the female detective would be able to give me some answers this time. **[4]**

"...Where should I start?" She wondered out loud and then, she said, "Well, we started off in the wrong foot and I hated you for a long time. One day you appeared in my tennis club, showing your V.P. armband, announcing that you wanted a match with me."

She chuckled a bit to herself and continued, "You see, at that time I used to change schools frequently because of my father's job and I stopped believing in friendship and stuff like that. I was a scary and spoiled girl who treated everyone like trash. The student council kept receiving complains about me, the new tennis ace who was pushing away all her club mates and you were the one with enough balls to confront me."

"Hmm, interesting to know that I would do such a daring thing, I mean, you still are kinda scary." I said jokingly, but she punched me in the arm with a considerable strength without a warning. "Calm down, I'm just joking!"

The Fire Queen was not happy with my last comment, "Don't say stupid stuff, I'm trying to be serious! Anyways, I was expecting you to scold me like the prez did, but you manipulated me, you used my pride to blind me. You made me play a game where the loser had to fulfil the winner's wish and your terms were so ridiculous that I accept the challenge without thinking twice."

"What were the terms?" I asked with a little too much curiosity.

Miura sighed in annoyance and said with an irritated tone, "Can you stop interrupting? You're getting annoying, Hikio."

I simply decided to stay in silence and she continued her story, "Your proposal was just absurd. If you were to win, I was supposed to become your friend and in return I told you to abandon your position in the student council. I was pretty sure that you would back off from this challenge, I was best tennis player of our school after all, but you still accepted it as if you had nothing to lose. Your smile, your attitude, everything about you was pissing me off, because it looked like you were sure that you would win and that made me lose my cool and I ended up messing everything."

"So, considering that we were friends it means that I won, right?" I asked feeling somewhat proud about my past.

She chuckled and answered, "No, the match ended with a tie, just like our last match not so long ago, but I couldn't accept that some carefree jerk had just dominated me in my own game. I really hated you, for humiliating me in front of everyone, but I decided to play the role of your friend so that I could have my payback one day."

"Wow, that's a really dark story. I thought that we were supposed to be friends." I said teasingly with a little bit of sarcasm, but this time Miura simply ignored me.

"Yeah, we didn't start as friends, but I kept pestering you to train with me and slowly we started to become closer and eventually we were inseparable. My hate turned into true friendship and I stopped seeing you as someone that I needed to crush. You taught me that being a bitch all the time wasn't worth it and you've changed my life."

I chuckled ironically, "The way that you're talking about me, makes me look like some kind of savior who showed you the right path."

She laughed in return and said harshly, "No, you were definitely a wolf in a sheep's clothing, but I couldn't complain, I was also a bad person. You were a perfect entertainer, a nice and kind guy that only showed his true colors to the people that he trusted the most."

"Oh, now that's similar to the scumbag Hachiman that I know." I retorted sarcastically.

"Yeah, but I miss that Hachiman and I want to bring him back." She said fiercely, her eyes full of determination.

"Uh, er, what? I told you that I have amnesia, Miura, I've changed... I'm not the same person that was once your friend and I think that you shouldn't waste your time with me… You have a good reputation, friends-"

She extended her arm in front of my face, putting a stop to my rant, "Don't get the wrong idea, idiot, I'm not planning on wasting my hard work, you're not my top priority anymore. I have good friends like Hina, Yui and Hayato and they are special to me... But so were you and I want you to remember who you were. I want to help you this time."

"You don't have to worry, it's not your problem. We're totally different people now and if you start hanging around with me people will throw shit at you." I tried to convince her not to meddle with my problems, we weren't friends anymore and we should just move on.

Straightening her posture and regaining her fierce gaze and after a dark chuckle, she said, "No, I don't want to play friends with you now. Not until you fix your image at school, Hikio. I simply can't understand why you keep acting like a jerk, but if you like this kind of thing... I have my reputation to keep, you know?"

I was now starting to get annoyed, this girl was truly pompous. First she offered me a helping hand and immediately after treats me like trash. What a great friend. "Anyways, firstly, tell me what you want me to do for losing that game." She said with a frustrated face that showed that she was truly trying to suppress her pride.

"I told you that I don't care about that stupid game, Miura-" Suddenly, I was interrupted when I felt a sting of pain in my right foot.

The Queen Bee was stepping on it with an angry face. "And I told you that I care! You made me lose face in front of many people and I keep my word."

I sighed in annoyance and shoved away her foot, "Damn, you're really annoying. I don't care about your damned reputation, but you know what? I have a good request for you: help that 'little thing' over there become a better tennis player."

She looked at me with surprise and then she shifted her gaze at Totsuka and chuckled forcibly, "You're kidding me, right?" I nodded negatively and she sighed, "Hmm, you don't remember me, but you already made a good friend, huh? Okay, I can train Totsuka, but I'm not joining this stupid club... _Those days are gone._ "

 _What the hell is going on with her emotions?_ Firstly, she was mad, then she was jealous and now her face was full of sadness. God, this was too much for me.

"You don't have to join the club, just help Totsuka becoming a better player. You were the regional champion, hopefully you'll be able to motivate people with your idol status." That was my proposal to her.

"That's more like the old you, the manipulative Demon V.P. that was the school's idol, despite being a jerk. By the way, you should cut your hair and change your attitude. You would be more popular with girls if you stop acting like a ruffian." This time, Miura was the one using a teasing tone while chuckling playfully.

"I could say the same thing about you. The younger 'Mia' with the short blonde hair and that green ribbon on her head was a cutie. I would totally date a girl like that." Just like that, I used the little I knew about her to tease her.

It worked, she immediately looked away with a red face and she punched me in the stomach weakly, saying in frustration, "W-What the hell are you saying, i-idiot? D-Don't act like everything's okay and don't call me that in public!"

An embarrassed Miura was definitely cute and I was enjoying this a little bit too much. As I was about to say something stupid again, another voice interrupted our conversation, "Hikigaya! I need to have a word with you."

Looking at voice's owner, my eyes met the figure of an angry girl who was walking towards this bench. She was none other than black lace, the girl who I called my savior - I totally had to rethink that nickname, because it didn't fit her aura anymore, she was about to kill me.

"You freaking bastard, you fooled me with that stupid card of yours!" She roared angrily and I immediately knew what was going on.

Suddenly, the green eyed girl that was sitting next to me stood up and she shouted back at Kawasaki, "What the hell is your problem? Can't you see that we are busy here, huh?"

 _Someone save me!_ This was starting to become a bloody battlefield where black fought against pink, in order to determine which color should be considered the sexiest. _Wait, why the hell do I know the color of Miura's underwear?_ As I had concluded before, I only remember the useless information.

"Piss off pretty girl, I'm talking to him." Kawasaki retorted aggressively, getting really close to Miura.

I had to do something, so I stood up and put myself in front of Miura, acting in a really protective way. "Calm down, girls! I'll talk with you Kawasaki, so let's not make a scene, okay?" I looked around noticing that the three of us were now on the spotlight.

Miura clicked her tongue in annoyance and tried to push me away, "Hey, get outta' my way, Hikio! I'm still talking with her."

"Stop this, Miura!" The blonde flinched after hearing my demanding tone. Once again I was acting in a very bossy and aggressive way, but it was effective in this type of situations. "You said that you didn't want to ruin your reputation, right? Just ignore her and leave." I whispered to her.

She huffed in annoyance, but nodded nevertheless. "I'll talk with you later. Give me your number." She whispered brusquely, still glaring at the blue haired girl with hostility.

"My phone is inside my bag in our classroom." I said that vaguely, which meant that she could get my number herself, if she really wanted it that much. Seeming happy with what I said, Miura left the scene, but not before bumping shoulders with her opponent.

Crap, now I was left alone with another girl, but this time it seemed like I was about to get slaughtered. "Well then, I guess I have some explaining to do." I said awkwardly, letting out a nervous chuckle. Today was definitely a day full of horrible encounters.

* * *

[1] – Reference to Tokyo Ghoul.

[2] – Reference to Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara.

[3] – Reference to the cute scenes between Hidenori and Yassan in High school Boy and Literary Girl - Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou.

[4] – The phrase used by Chitanda when she asks Oreki to help her solve some mystery – Hyouka.


	12. Women are troublesome

**Edited: 01/01/17**

* * *

Fact of the day, Hachiman Hikigaya was a guy who attracted too much attention from the female gender and it was something that would always end up in some type of troublesome situation. I wasn't ignored by the girls and that was good sign, it meant that everyone acknowledged my existence even if it wasn't for the best reasons. Some could say that I was hated, but that was mainly because of my idiotic façade.

In my opinion, I wasn't a dense guy and I could actually read others pretty well, but I always seemed to underestimate the fact that logic couldn't be applied when dealing with girls. Even if I tried to act neutral and distant, I always managed to screw up whenever I had to interaction seriously with a female – maybe I was lacking in experience.

It all started in the beginning of this year, especially when Hiratsuka started to watch me closely, because I was starting to become a _problematic student_ and now noticing how badly I treated her, I was ready to admit that I was probably wrong in many aspects.

Then I had to deal with the advances of a certain angel that wanted to re-ignite our friendship that neither of us remembered. This situation was the perfect example of a failed reset of human relationships. She was once again brought back to my life, probably because of her family.

I didn't even want to remember what happened with the Yukinoshita sisters… Yuigahama was a nice girl and that was why I hated her. Yumiko, was an odd case, mainly because the person that I started to hate was actually my close friend not so long ago and the little interaction that we had today, had just complicated everything. _What does she want anyways?_

Of course we still had a big nuisance that was named black lace, my savior and destroyer, Saki Kawasaki. Once again, I was stupid and I got involved with something that wasn't my problem. I had to admit that back then I was worried and I tried to act like a nice person who wanted to help a fellow classmate.

This was why I hated to play nice with others, people were never happy with what they had. In the end it looked like being the good guy didn't fit my character and once again, I was starting to think that being a loner was indeed the best way for me to live – yes, I was still having some personality issues.

I should have left her alone when she told me that she didn't need any type of compensation for saving me, but my pride wouldn't let me forget this unpaid debt towards a lady and that was how I left the neutral zone. Worrying a little too much about her, I gave her that piece of paper, the business card, or using a simple term, the phone number that originated her anger.

"Hey!" A female voice shouted loudly, breaking my inner monologue, "Are you ignoring me, Hikigaya? I asked what the hell you were thinking, you fooled me!"

"Hmm, y-yeah, about that... You're right, I should have explained myself better back then." I said feeling somewhat guilty.

"Of course, that's why I'm asking you for an explanation!" She wasn't asking, this was more like an order that I couldn't refuse. I was about to get murdered if I answered in the wrong way.

"Have you called the number I gave you?" I asked trying to gain some time to think of way to deal with her.

She snorted and crossed her arms beneath her generous chest, "Are you an idiot? Of course I did, otherwise I wouldn't be this angry."

Trying to keep myself calm, I took a deep breath before answering, "Yeah, I know and I could say is that what I did was wrong and I should have tried to explain my intentions better... I tried to give you a way to fix your financial problems, because I didn't know if the scholarship would be enough."

"A way to fix my ' _financial problems'_!?" She repeated my words in anger, "It's just like I thought… You tried to buy me with your freaking money! I told you that I didn't want anything from you and I certainly don't need your charity or pity."

"Uh, it's nothing like that, I wasn't pitying you and I certainly wasn't trying to buy you with my money, I-"

Before I could finish my explanation, Kawasaki let out a sarcastic laugh and getting a bit closer to me she said, "You made me call to that number and I ended up finding out that I was calling directly to your mother's company. That was humiliating for me, it looked like I was begging for help... I was finally starting to think that you were different, but you are just like the others."

She was definitely angry with everything and everyone, but I still didn't understand what she tried to say with that comparison. _Is she talking about our classmates?_ This girl was surely a hot-headed and opinionated person.

This time I was the one chuckling, "You're blind as a bat and I know that no matter what I say you won't change your opinion. I was simply trying to help, even if I did it in the wrong way, so I'm sorry for trying to help."

"Are you calling me blind? That's funny coming from a freaking liar that knows nothing about life... Being a house-husband might suit an arrogant brat like you." Kawasaki reached her limit and she started attacking me with a bunch of insults, her tone was cold and full of venom.

"Yeah, you're right, maybe I know nothing about life... I don't even know who I am, isn't that ironic?" I said in an irritated tone, which made her glare at me in confusion, "However, we're the same because you are the one who was lying to her family and for what I know and I'm not the one breaking the law."

Her glare intensified and after my sharp words she grabbed my collar and said, "Are you threatening me, Hikigaya? Don't give me another reason to smash that cocky face of yours."

I slapped away her hands and got some distant from her, "Okay, this is going too far and if we keep going we'll both end up in trouble with the school." I said that because there was a small crowd gathering to watch our little fight. "How about we talk like two grown-ups?" She clicked her tongue in annoyance, noticing that we had company and tried to calm herself while avoiding looking at me.

"I'm sorry for not telling you that the phone number was from my mother's company, but at that time I only wanted to help and I thought that this detail wouldn't be important." I said calmly.

"Of course it's an important detail, Hikigaya, you made me look like a dumbass who was trying to use her classmate to gain some easy money. I even talked with your mother and she immediately offered me an interview to become her secretary after hearing that you were the one that gave me the number." She finally admitted part of the reason why she was so against what I had done.

I looked at her and tried to explain my thinking, "Look, I know that you are very independent and stubborn, but it's okay to accept help from others. I just gave you that number because I honestly think that you are a serious person who works very hard and my mother has been looking for someone that she could trust with her personal stuff... I just did the math, she needed someone trustworthy and I knew a responsible girl who needed a decent job."

She sighed in annoyance and said, "First you offend me and now you complement me? Tch, your smooth talk is really annoying and I'm starting to find it hard to have a discussion with a twisted bastard like you, Hikigaya."

"…Like I told you that night in the bar, accept my help just this time Kawasaki. It's not like I'm just trying to throw my family's money at you, even if I'm extremely grateful for what you did." With a small pause, I looked at her in the eyes, so that she could understand that I wasn't trying to play games with her.

"You talked with my mother right? She probably bombarded you with a lot of questions, mostly random stuff, personal information and that was 'Ms. Hikigaya' way of evaluating you as a person and if she offered you a job is because she probably liked you. You must have noticed how serious she was about everything and this is why I'm telling you that it wasn't just me trying to pay my debt… Believe me or not, we haven't even discussed this matter in person or anything else."

I couldn't deny that I also wanted my mother to find a proper 'secretary', because I was always the one who had to help her with some of her job stuff, like emails, calls and some minor problems with her schedule and documents. She was untrusting just like me, but if her own son recommended someone, I thought that she might reconsider hiring that person for the position – this was all information that I wasn't going to share with my classmate, of course.

Kawasaki finally looked at me without hostility and she answered honestly, "I don't know… Maybe you're right. She asked a lot of things, like why did I need a job, what I wanted to do in the future, how I was doing with my studies… Some really weird questions. I felt like I was being interrogated by the police or something and she even asked me how I had met you. Your mother is weird and incomprehensible just like you."

I chuckled at her comment, knowing fully well that my mother was indeed a strange person, "Well, we can agree on that, but what are you going to do?" Hearing my question she tilted her head in confusion, which made her look somewhat adorable, "I mean, are you going to accept the job or not?"

She stayed silent for a few seconds, while thinking of an answer and then, she said, "...I have no clue. Your mother said that she wanted to interview me in person, but to be honest I don't know if I'm going to accept this. This still feels wrong, even if I really need the money."

"I think that this might be better than working at night illegally, while worrying your siblings and family. Think about it." As I said that, I tried to use an Escape Rope to vanish from this obscure environment, which was being caused by this argument with a stubborn and angry black lace. The bats, or should I say the other students, were focusing on our little drama and this type of attention wasn't good for either of us. At this point not even a Max Repel would save us from this awkward situation. **[1]**

Before I could leave the scene with my wise words of advice, Kawasaki stopped me and said, "Look, sorry for being aggressive... I'll think about it." Then, she add something more, "Oh, tell your blonde friend to avoid playing dirty with me again."

I almost choked in my own saliva after hearing her threatening words, she was scary, but I answered her in a mocking tone "My friend? Haven't you noticed that I'm a loner who's hated by everyone? I have no clue what friendship is, so tell her that yourself."

"Eh, is that true? To me and everyone else watching it seemed like the two of you were happily flirting with each other. Be careful with the rumors lover boy." She said with an ironic smile on her face.

"R-Really?" I asked confused, noticing that Miura and I were acting very carefree previously. "…Tch, don't worry, not everyone has a perverted mind like you. I mean, who wears _that_ type of underwear at school?" Hearing my response, Kawasaki transformed into a living tomato and she started calling me all types of insults that were related to being a 'pervert', while covering her body in shame. This only made people more suspicious of what was happening.

Wanting to avoid everyone's attention, I quickly walked back to the classroom, breaking my promise to wait for Totsuka to finish her training. I need to focus before facing the final Boss of this floor and hopefully, I would get an amazing reward for all the trouble that I went through, but life didn't work like a game. I really wanted my own harem, or maybe not. **[2]**

* * *

Just before reaching my classroom, there was something that started to disturb me. In front of the doorway there was a small clique of young prostitutes gossiping about something that seemed really funny. For some reason, I decided to hide myself in the corner and eavesdrop the conversation.

"Have you heard the rumors?" The one with short dark brown hair said, her voice full of excitement.

Since the other three girls were the perfect pawns, they let their leader take the spotlight while listening carefully, "It seems like the blonde bitch has been flirting with the delinquent."

They all gasped loudly, but one of the girls with light brown hair continued to pressure the issue, "Do you mean the guy from our class?" They were talking about me of course. The girl with a bitchy look nodded and then a girl with glasses added her opinion, "Then it means that we might have a chance with Hayato."

The leader of the clique wasn't happy with what she heard and she laughed ironically, "No, no, I think you mean to say that I have a chance with him, right? Anyways, even if the rumors aren't true, if we twisted the truth a little bit, her reputation is over."

All of them seemed happy with this plan as they started to giggle like crazy and that was when I almost lost my cool. I started to walk towards the door, considering if I should punch them or not. I thought that I was indifferent to stuff like this, especially since I was used to be treated like trash, but for some reason I was really angry when I learned about their plans.

 _Am I feeling guilty?_ Well it was part of my fault that this was happening. I was the one provoked the Queen's competitive side and that made her approach me once again, even if she was still mad at me. However, if Miura really wanted to maintain her status, she should have planned a better way to approach me without damaging her social status. Anyways, who could blame her, even if she was an intimidating chick, I felt that she was also very sensible, insecure and emotional, especially when dealing with her friends/clique/subordinates – I had just noticed how rude this sounded in my head.

But who would have thought that Hachiman Hikigaya, the self-proclaimed delinquent would actually care about what happened around him. Now that I that I was thinking about all of this, I noticed that I had acted like this recently, especially when I was defending Yuigahama and Totsuka… Once again I was confused and I still had issues identifying who I really was.

At this point I was sure that what I was going through had to be some sort of disorder. Maybe I had multiple personalities, caused by the trauma and amnesia, or maybe I was crazy since the beginning.

I kept walking until I reached the door, which was being block by the group who was now looking at me anxiously. I gave them my best glare, "Move!" I ordered coldly and they almost jumped in a mixture of fear and disgust.

"What's wrong with you creep!? You think you can scare us like that?" The leader shouted throwing me an offended and defiant look. This girl was a total bitch, just a seconds ago she was talking shit about me and now that I was in front of her, she was acting like a frightened Chihuahua.

"Shh, leave him alone Minami... He's crazy." The girl with glasses said and thankfully the others listened to her wise advice and stepped aside, because I was certainly ready to start a brawl.

' _He's crazy'_ that girl trying to look cute said and perhaps she was right… After all that happened to me, I wondered how I was still managing to function properly. Maybe forgetting everything was what was keeping me from breaking down. I still couldn't believe that I was kidnapped and probably tortured – after I fix this mess with my teacher, I had to visit my grandfather and clarify everything, because I was sure that this mess was all connected to my family's business.

I returned to my desk, noticing that the few people who were inside the classroom were now gossiping about the shouting that happened between me and the second most influential clique of this class.

Looking at my stuff, I knew that my bag was out of place and this could only mean one thing. Glancing unconsciously at Miura's desk, I noticed that she was glaring back at me. Then, the blonde started to make weird eyes signals at me, shifting her gaze between my face and her bag.

Once again this girl was acting in this unpredictable manner, which made me confused. When her friend with glasses noticed her weird actions, Miura stopped what she was doing and started to cover up her messy performance - as predicted, MIura really wanted to avoid letting others know that we were once close to each other.

Well, seeing that my bag had been assaulted and noticing how impatiently Miura was holding her phone, I decided to check my own mobile device and noticed that I had a new unread message. I opened it and read the content: 'This is Miura! I've already saved my number, so dont you dare ignore me when I text u... I know that u only use ur phone for apps, so u have no excuses!'

 _Wait what?_ I had to stop myself from laughing, after reading this. When I realized that Miura even knew this little detail about me, I was really creeped out, but it was still funny. Well, I now understood clearly that she clearly knew a lot about me and this could only mean that some parts of me were still the same.

I was confused... I didn't know if it was possible that I was still the same person, especially after forgetting everything about my past. Maybe deep inside I was still the same person, at least some of my habits seemed to be the same. If that wasn't the case, this could mean that the blonde had been keeping a close eye on my activities.

I didn't even want to mention the fact that Miura did the same as Yuigahama when adding her contact on my phone. 'Mia U( ˃ᆺ˂)U _'_ this was how her name showed up in my screen and this was also probably her way of being extremely girly.

She wasn't helping me, I was trying to keep myself from laughing, but this act of cuteness didn't fit her at all. _What is this emoticon?_ Maybe it was supposed to resemble a rabbit, or perhaps it was just a way to illustrate her hair rolls.

I was about to lock my phone and put it inside my bag when I felt a vibration in my hand. It was another message from Miura. 'Oi! U were about to ignore me right in front of my eyes! (`o´)'

I sighed in annoyance and answered her, 'Well, I don't have anything to say…To be honest, it's really awkward to do this when you're just some meters away from me and I'm not used to this kind of thing.'

I looked towards Miura's desk and saw that she was tapping on her screen at an incredible speed. In mere seconds I had received a new answer. Just before I could open the new email, the girl with glasses that was sitting next to Miura asked in curiosity, "Are you texting with Hayato? Fufufu~ you seem really happy!"

The blonde girl immediately tried to cover her friend's mouth with her hand and said, "Shut it, Hina... It's not like that." Miura seemed really embarrassed about all of this and her friend was teasing her without stopping. She started to talk about her relationship Miura's relationship with Hayama and all that the blonde could do was blush. Well, it was a shame for her that I was the one that she was texting. I bet she would have preferred to speak the King of high school instead.

I opened her text and read it, 'Just dont ignore me! Anyways, what did that bitch want? Did she hit u or something? (lol)'

'Don't to worry about it. You should worry more about yourself though, there are some rumors going around about the two of us.' I didn't know why, but I felt like I needed to warn her about what was happening behind her back and I did that because I realized that the Fire Queen was more fragile that I thought.

'Wait, whaaat? (¤﹏¤) Oh crap, I was stupid... Hmm, what is the rumor? Was that why u were screaming at some girls outside the classroom? Who are they? I swear that I'll punch them if they do something.' This time she took little more time to reply and when I looked at her I saw the reason why: she was fuming in rage and tapping her foot on the ground with a worried expression on her face.

Yeah, now I knew that she shouldn't have approached me like that. For someone who said that wanted to keep her image, she was failing at it. This girl was a ball of emotions and I knew that if I didn't reply to her text immediately, I was the one who would get punched later. 'I heard some girls saying that they will spread rumors about us flirting. Apparently there are many bitches who would do anything to get you away from their precious Hayama.'

'Hachiman, what's up with that way of talking? Do u hate Hayato or something? Stop that, I HATE that side of u… I want u to tell me more about whats happening, but not through phone (Hina is already too suspicious and I have to delete our emails). R u free to go out with me on the next Saturday?'

This time, I was the one with a red face after reading what she sent me. She just said 'go out with me'... _Is she really dense or something?_ This was totally a phrase used by a riajuu to ask someone on a romantic date. _Don't toy with my heart, girl!_

Anyways, I wasn't happy about this, because Saturday was my special day that was used mainly as a day to do whatever I wanted without a care in the world. 'Ugh, I don't know about that. Normally I have some plans for Saturdays, so maybe that's not a good idea. By the way, you really got to delete our messages, because what you said previously sounded like you were confessing to me.'

'WTF, Hikio! Dont be weird, u know it's not like that! (_) And dont lie to me, Ik that ull use the free time to do something useless... I think that it would be a good idea to talk again more calmly, Hikio...' Reading this, I sighed in annoyance.

This situation was getting out of hand and now it totally looked like the two of us were doing something obscene in secret. I answered her with a simple 'Ok', knowing that at this point I couldn't refuse her and I had to admit that she could also be useful to learn more about me.

My phone vibrated again and this time I was starting to wonder if I should block Miura's contact or simply smash this piece of trash against the wall. For the last time, I opened up the new email, but then I noticed that the sender's address wasn't in my contacts list, 'We need to talk, Hikigaya. Come to the parking lot - Hiratsuka.'

 _When did I become so famous?_ That what I was wondering after noticing how much attention I was getting lately. I was slowly becoming a celebrity among the ladies. _Wait, this doesn't sound good._ I just knew that the amount of emails that I received today would make Sasaki Isaburo feel jealous. Here I thought that I was a guy with no attachments. It seemed like even rotten people could get a heartwarming ending. **[3]**

Now it was finally the time to deal with Hiratsuka. The fact that she summoned me like this meant that she probably wanted to speak with me outside of the school, which was pretty normal considering how delicate this topic was.

I stood, picked up my things and left the classroom. I started to wonder what I should do once I see Hiratsuka. I was getting really nervous and I had no clue of what to say anymore… I knew that I messed up yesterday, I had disrespected someone who was trying to help me - I was a jerk and there was no point in denying it.

However, even if I was feeling guilty for what I did, I still felt like her actions were also wrong, but of course that I knew that her intentions were genuine. Yes, I was being stubborn, but I felt like I also wanted to hear an apology coming from her. Like most of the people who knew me before the 'accident', she was also someone who kept hiding stuff from me and I couldn't accept that. Even if I was also a big liar sometimes, on pair with people like Haruno and Hayama, it was ironic to notice how much I hated people who lied to me.

After seeing her break down like that with a teary face and a weak voice, I felt like I went too far and I knew that no one deserved to be treated like that – especially if that someone was your nee-san in the past. For that reason I had planned to apologize no matter what happened today and hopefully, my stupid ego wouldn't get in the way this time.

Even if I was mad and confused about all of what was happening in my life, this wasn't an excuse to use others as punching bags and I felt like I was ready to swallow my pride. Crap, this was about to get ten times more serious and emotional than the previous two events.

* * *

[1] – Reference to Pokémon.

[2] – Reference to Sword Art Online.

[3] – Reference to Gintama – RIP email fanatic.


	13. Hiratsuka and her youth story

**A/N: Yo guys, I'm still alive! I must apologize for being away for so long, but as I said before, adult life is hard and unfortunately for me I had to put aside my hobbies in order to focus on university and work. First of all I hope that all of you had an amazing Christmas full of good memories and I wish you a happy 2017.**

 **Despite what you guys must think, I really want to continue and finish this story, but my time is limited because of my responsibilities and unfortunately I'm now flying solo on this project - having someone to share your ideas and thoughts about these type of things really helps after all and I would love to have an extra hand to guide me through this.**

 **WARNING: This chapter wasn't edited by a Beta Reader and I apologize for any stupid mistakes you might find.**

* * *

Since I was a man of my word, I made my way to the school's parking lot, only to find out that Hiratsuka was already waiting for me inside her luxurious car. She looked in my direction, but her eyes kept dancing around my figure and without saying a word, she made a head movement that contained the following message: 'Get in or I'll punch you!'

Yeah, that was clearly the hidden message in her odd behavior, but it was also evident that she was looking somewhat agitated. Once again she wasn't acting like the fierce female teacher that would usually 'punch' me in the right direction - this was a good pun, Hachiman.

I had to contain the urge to facepalm at my failed attempt on trying to ignore this tense and awkward mood that the two of us had created. This was too much for me to handle and to be honest I was somewhat nervous. We still haven't spoken a word and it felt like I was being kidnapped by this older tigress - this sounded really perverted.

Even if I was exaggerating again, it was true that Hiratsuka was acting very weirdly. I noticed that she seemed like a different person when driving her western car, she was usually humming some type of song, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel while looking like a teenager full of life, but today it wasn't like that and that was why I was worried.

My teacher was constantly frowning and the car's radio was turned off. She also wasn't smoking and the most important detail of them all, she wasn't driving like a reckless street racer. She once told Komachi and I that driving was one of her favorite hobbies, but now seeing the same woman driving me around town with a pained expression was making me feel really guilty.

Hiratsuka let out another long sigh and that was my cue to say something, "Y-You know, I've heard that 'a woman can say more in a sigh than a man can say in a sermon', but if you don't talk to me I won't be able to understand you." **[1]**

I slowly looked to my left and noticed Hiratsuka flinching a little when she heard my voice. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened too, but somehow I managed to hear an almost silent chuckle coming from her – I also noticed that she was smiling softly.

That was really smooth and now that I noticed, this wasn't the first time that I acted so confidently. Perhaps it was really truth that in the past I was a people's person, because to be honest with myself, sometimes I felt like there was a part of me that really appreciated these little interactions with others.

However, despite my best effort, Hiratsuka didn't say a word and once again we fell in silence. Her mood seemed to raise a little and that was a good start.

When I paid attention to the road ahead of us, I noticed that we were already somewhere in the outskirts of Chiba, there was little to no cars on the street and the absence of red lights was also a good way to break the tension.

"Where are we going?" I asked, finally deciding to kill my curiosity.

"...Somewhere more private." Despite the delayed answer, Hiratsuka finally broken the silence.

"Hmm, I don't know if I should be scared or not by your weird phrasing teacher. It feels like I'm being kidnapped." I said half-joking.

However, her reaction wasn't what I was expecting and instead of a sarcastic retort or some type of insult, all that Hiratsuka did was glare at me with a hurtful expression, "You're being insensitive Hachiman."

"I'm sorry." I knew that she was right, this wasn't the time to joke around. Just before I could think of another way of breaking the ice, Hiratsuka parked her car in front of a nice-looking restaurant, which name was 'The noodle house'.

Once again, I was hit by a strange sense of nostalgia and I felt like I remembered this restaurant's name from somewhere.

I couldn't say that I remember visiting one of these restaurants before and I certainly didn't know where we were - I simply knew that we were some miles away from Chiba, but I guess I was too nervous to pay attention to my surroundings.

Anyways, maybe I remembered this name because I searched for places who could deliver some good food or perhaps I overheard my parents talking about a business meeting in this place.

Looking through the car's window, I was amazed when I noticed that the two-story building looked really fancy from the outside. This place transmitted a professional and yet homey feeling that would be perfect for boring meetings with the Board or maybe the sort of place to bring your girlfriend in a romantic escapade.

Just before I could analyze my surroundings a little more, a stern voice brought me back to reality, "Are you not coming? C'mon, let's go inside." Hiratsuka said as she walked through the front door. Not wanting to aggravate her unstable temper again, I followed her in a flash.

* * *

"Hello, table for two please." Hiratsuka said as she gave the female waitress a small piece of paper with something written on it.

The woman started at the said paper for a second and then, said with a polite tone, "Oh, we've been waiting for you, Miss Hiratsuka. Please follow me, I'll guide you two to your table."

As soon as she finished her trained speech, the women with a small structure looked at us somewhat weirdly, but as soon as she noticed my gaze, she covered up her rudeness by guiding us quickly towards our table.

I let out a deep sigh when I noticed why the waitress and some of the others adults were looking at us weirdly. Both Hiratsuka and I were still wearing our school outfits… An older woman taking a teenager out to a meal in a place like this really looked fishy, especially considering that she was my teacher.

Unlike me, Hiratsuka didn't look concerned about the unusual amount of attention that we were getting and so, we kept walking towards our table. As soon as we took a seat, the nosy waitress quickly got our orders and both of us ended up choosing to eat ramen.

Perhaps many would say that our choice of food wasn't the best, especially considering that we were eating in such a good restaurant, but for me ramen was certainly the greatest food of them all. In my opinion this was the best choice, but maybe that was just me taking sides because I always felt this sense of nostalgia that warmed my heart whenever I was presented with a supreme bowl of ramen.

Hiratsuka was still lost in her own world, when the waitress asked our orders she barely spoke, deciding to have whatever I had chosen. This was too weird, deep inside she was a strong-willed woman, but looking at her now, so close to breaking down in tears was starting to make me feel really guilty for my bratty attitude.

In just a few minutes, I was brought back to reality when our food was delivered to our table. Picking up my chopsticks while placing my hands together I said, "Thank you for the food."

Hearing my voice, I felt Hiratsuka recoil in surprise and copying my previous actions in a forced way, she said, "T-Thank you for the food." Despite the low tone, she was once again speaking and that was another step forward.

We both started by tasting the soup and I couldn't deny that this was indeed a marvelous recipe that was slowly curing my tired soul. "This is delicious." Hiratsuka said with a content sigh and a small smile - as I thought before, she was much prettier with a smile on her face.

I was about to bite the tasty meat in my bowl, but then I saw something that really annoyed me - there was this small red fruit floating around, clearly testing my patience.

"Damn it, I was distracted..." Hiratsuka said annoyingly, grabbing my attention. "I really hate tomatoes." She muttered like a moody child, while removing the red fruit of her bowl.

This childish behavior that Hiratsuka was showing was really cute and unfortunately, I couldn't hold a small chuckle. She looked at me with some hostility and I said, "So, you don't like tomatoes?"

"Of course not." She almost shouted with a disgusted expression, "I seriously can't believe how people enjoy eating these things along with their noodles."

"I also hate them... They have this mushy sensation and a unique smell that I can't get used to." Yes, I didn't know why, but I also couldn't enjoy the taste of this red fruit.

There was a short silence, as both of us kept searching the contents of our bowls, clearly not wanting to step on another mine. "I-I actually knew that you didn't like tomatoes." Hiratsuka said with a hesitant voice.

I looked at her and her expression was once again painted with this pained smile, like she was remembering something that was long gone. "I don't like cucumbers either, but I know that you like them in your miso soup and that's the only way you can eat them."

She was right, I wasn't a big fan of cucumbers, especially if it was served raw. I had no idea of what to say or how to react. I was a bit shocked to notice that Hiratsuka clearly knew a lot more about me, or at least my past self.

Our small conversation came to a halt and once again there was only silence. I looked at Hiratsuka and I noticed that she was spacing out while looking at her bowl of food. When she met my gaze, she gulped her drink in one go.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry, it must be awkward for you to suddenly see that a, um, a _s-stranger_ knows a lot about you."

"Uh, you're right, it's weird that my _teacher_ knows so much about me, but I guess that was to be expected..."

To my surprise, what I said made Hiratsuka react in an unexpected way, "D-Don't call me that! She shouted, startling me in the process. "Jeez, t-there's no point in keep treating me like your teacher while we're alone, es-espcially now..."

Now that was more like the Hiratsuka that I had met two years ago - the fierce woman that always managed to get what she wanted. However, I couldn't be more wrong. Suddenly, Hiratsuka let out a big sigh and as she supported her head with her palms. Seconds later when she removed her hands from her face, I saw a lonely tear rolling down her cheek.

A sigh escaped my lips as I watched Hiratsuka trying and failing to compose herself. I was enjoying seeing this side of her - she looked fragile, cute and way more feminine than her usual self - and I knew that if this woman acted like this every day, she would have been taken a long time ago.

Trying to ignore the fact that I was enjoying this a little too much, I decided that I had to do something to make her feel better, "Ah, okay, I-I get it, so please stop crying. So what should I call you then? Hiratsuka or did I use to call you auntie or something like th-" I couldn't finish my own sentence, realizing the stupid mistake I committed - I had totally forgotten about the serious state of our encounter and without thinking, I ended up teasing Hiratsuka's weak point like I always did in our regular conversations.

I was getting mentally ready to get smacked in the face, but simply looked at me with a depressed face "Hikigaya… That kind of joke hurts right now..."

"I-I was being rude, _a-again_ , I guess, uh, that I'm so used to our usual good-natured banter that I totally forgot that this wasn't the time to make stupid jokes." I admitted my sins.

Unexpectedly, this made Hiratsuka chuckle a little and she said, "Yeah, I know what you mean, I can't deny that I also enjoy our usual conversations… I-I'm just feeling depressed, so it's not a good time to make jokes about my age, Hikigaya."

"...Sorry."

There was another awkward silence and in the meanwhile Hiratsuka took this chance to ask for another serving of noodles and an alcoholic drink. After receiving her order and after taking a mouthful of her beer and with a satisfied look on her face, she spoke to me, "We should probably talk about that matter..."

"Right, I guess we can't avoid it forever..." I said as I focused solely on her, but I guess I should try to break the ice first, "I'm still curious though, tell me what I used to call you back then."

Hearing my question, she almost choked on her drink and turning away her head in a bashful manner, she said, "I'll tell you, but promise me that you won't laugh?" As she said that, she glared at me in a nasty way - of course I could only nod in response.

"Y-You see, when we finally started to get along as friends, I-I allowed you to started calling me by a pet name." She looked at me hesitantly and after a short break, she continued, "Shortly after meeting me, you started calling me Chizu-nee."

I looked at her for some seconds and then I realized something, "Wait, you mean Shizu as an abbreviation of Shizuka or ..."

Before I could finish my train of thoughts, Hiratsuka interrupted me and explained, "Yes and no. Since you were a brat that enjoyed to tease others, you found it funny to call me Chi-zu, which literally translates into cheese. Anyways, it wasn't like I didn't find it funny, so… I g-guess you can keep calling me that, i-if you want to, of c-course!"

The two of us locked eyes for some seconds and soon after our faces became red in embarrassment, "Ah, I was really an annoying brat, huh?" I said awkwardly, but Hiratsuka said nothing and instead she gave me the famous 'puppy eyes' look that instantly melted my heart - I knew exactly what she wanted.

Sighing in defeat, I decided to spoil her, "Okay, I get it, I'll call you Chizu-nee every now and then." After hearing that, her expression quickly changed and now she had this look of pure happiness on her face - she was finally smiling too and this smile was a special one, she looked beautiful.

If no one wanted to take her, I would be more than happy to have such a gorgeous woman by my side. Anyways I was getting sidetracked and it seemed that Hiratsuka noticed that, "Why are you smiling so creepily, Hiki-Hachiman? Seriously, stop it or I'll smack you!" Her cheeks were red, which meant that she saw through my perverted intentions. _Please woman, don't say my first name so casually while looking so adorable!_

Before I could defend myself after getting busted, Hiratsuka let out a long sigh, she looked at me and said tiredly,"Well, where should I start?"

"...From the beginning?" I said hesitantly after remembering that it would be better if she could give me all of the details about my forgotten past.

Hearing my response, Hiratsuka chuckled and said, "That is so cliché, Hachiman. But you're right, I guess that I should have talked with you a long time ago, but I didn't know how to interact with you now… This is going to be a long story, I may need a new drink to ease up my nerves."

She called one of the workers and asked for another beer - this woman was seriously going to end up drunk and I would have to deal with some awkward situation, I could feel it. Taking a long sip of her drink, she said with her usual enthusiasm, "All right, it's time for you to learn more about my past adventures!" This marked the start of our flashback moment.

* * *

 **Hiratsuka's POV**

"Ahh, what should I do?" I murmured to myself in desperation, realizing that my laid-back lifestyle was about to end, even though the summer break was only one week away.

Maybe I was exaggerating a bit, but the fact that I was already seventeen meant that it was time for me to embrace the responsibilities of becoming an adult. _Argh age is a scary thing!_ It was true that I was always different, at least when compared to my idiotic classmates, but I also wanted to enjoy my adolescence.

I would love to spend my whole summer doing nothing. I wanted to watch and rewatch some of my favorite movies, read some manga, eat junk food and maybe even get a b-boyfriend… _Get a grip Shizuka. That's not going to happen!_ Damn it, I was even stuttering in my own thoughts.

Another sigh escaped my lips as I remembered that unfortunately my life wasn't that amazing and I had never had the chance to experience that adolescent phase that everyone was going through - yeah, youth was nothing but a lie to me.

In a few weeks I would become a third year student in my local high school, but I still hadn't decided my career path. However, I was pretty sure that I was going to choose something related to Liberal arts, especially since I had some amazing scores in Japanese, English and all the other subjects that focused heavily on writing and interpretation skills.

Yeah, unfortunately my grades weren't the problem - my dramas would all be solved much easier just by studying a little bit more. What I was lacking was money - coins and notes, a lot of them to be honest. I always heard people saying that money didn't buy happiness, well in my case I couldn't buy anything, because I didn't have much to begin with - money was my biggest distress since young age. _Pfuu, it doesn't buy happiness… How ironic, right?_

My family was financially poor - crap, I meant to say _my father was poor_. My old man was an ex-police officer that was fired at ex-police officer that was fired in his early thirties for misconduct - in his case he was caught under the influence of alcohol while on duty. My father was an alcoholic with gambling problems and this was the origin of my financial issues.

My mother wasn't much better, no, my family was all a little screwed up in the head. When I was younger, that woman run away with a younger man and now I understood why she did so. Even if I never felt disrespected by my father, dealing his 'situation' in a daily basis was complicated and every single time I heard a knock on my door, I was hoping that it wasn't the cops reporting his death - the causes would probably be an alcohol overdose or a bullet in his brains. I knew he owed some money to shady people.

After some minutes of walking on autopilot, I reached the door of my modest residence. Imagine my surprise when I found a letter in the mailbox - this was probably another complain about my father's misbehavior or perhaps it was just a letter warning us about some unpaid expenses.

For a second I was in shock when I noticed that this letter was receiver was supposed to be me - this certainly wasn't a confession from some guy, but I was also scared that this time I would the one receiving a reprehension letter. I opened the said letter and I started reading it out loud as I stepped inside: _'Ms. Shizuka, it's our knowledge that you're soon to become a third year student on your local high school and we also know that you intend on going to university, but unfortunately your father can afford it. In fact, your father can't even afford to pay back the money he owes us and that was why we decided to give you, his daughter, a chance to pay your father's debt. We know what you must be thinking by now, but don't worry, we promise that we have no ill intentions. The Gaya group wants to offer you a job during this summer break, so that you can pay us for what is rightfully ours and at the same time you'll compensated monetarily for your services. We await a positive response from you, or else we'll have to use other means to get what we want.'_

I started shaking in fear and I let myself fall on my knees, trying to register what just happened. The day had finally come, my father's problems were also my responsibility now. From this day on I was involved with a yakuza group and by the start of my graduation year I would probably be abused and then murdered, just because of some stupid debt.

Anyways, looking at this situation on a positive side, I was offered the summer job that I wanted so much - too bad that my employers were shady people, but that was just a minor detail.

Being forced to accept this odd situation, I was now 'enjoying' my train ride to a remote location in the mountainous area of Chiba, simply known as Chiba Village. The amount of horror stuff I had seen until now had me wondering what could go wrong in a remote area such as this.

As soon as I arrived the supposed train station, I was confronted with a frightening situation - there was a black European car, probably a Mercedes, illegally parked by the road.

I was frozen and it seemed that all my energy and rationality was gone - yes, I was really afraid of what was about to happen. Suddenly, the right rear door was opened from inside and then, a grumpy voice said, "Get in."

Dominated by the fear of what could happen if I did not comply, I started moving on autopilot and when I came to back to reality, I was already sitting inside the mafia-looking car. "It's a pleasure meeting you, young Shizuka. I'm glad you accepted our terms."

 _It wasn't like I had a choice_ \- that was what I wanted to say, but I decided not to open my mouth. I was so nervous that my eyes were still glued to the window next to me. The figure sitting next to me decided to speak again, making me flinch in anticipation, "You don't need to be so nervous, believe me when I say that nothing will happen to you."

I shook my head and scoffed lightly at this, "That doesn't sound comforting, you know? That's a cheesy thing that most villains say before killing someone..." As soon as I said that, I regretted for not holding back my snarky remarks.

At this point, I was just getting mentally ready to get punched in the face for being such a brat, but instead of that, the man sitting next to me started laughing loudly, "Ha-ha-ha! This one has a strong attitude, I like it! You are just like my wife when she was younger."

Not expecting this type of reaction, I felt that I was calmer and summoning all the courage I had, I finally faced the man who was probably my employer. The elderly man sitting next to me had long spiky hair with a mustache and a beard. His eyes were really freaky and scary. His grey eyes seemed to have vertical pupils, giving him a very intense and intimidating look that could rival a wild beast. Despite his age, this man seemed to be incredibly fit and muscular - he had the perfect profile of a badass grandpa.

Just before the situation turned into an awkward silence, a new person joined our conversation, "Stop acting like that jiji, you're scaring the girl." From what I could tell, the voice belonged to a young boy.

The old man laughed once again and said, "Oh, I see! You are already warming up to your new 'babysitter'... I mean, you are already defending the girl." _Wait… So that means that I have to take care of this brat?_

The kid sitting on the passenger seat sighed in annoyance and said, "I'm already seven years old jiji, I don't need you to hire someone to take care of me and we also have the twins. Pfuu, I know this place like the back of my hand, you don't need to worry." For someone so young, I had to say that this kid had a really strong personality - well, he was a brat born in the Yakuza, I guess a little attitude was expectable.

"Yeah, right, we have the twins, but only Haruki does what he's told... You've already turned the girl to your side - she has a soft spot for you and that's why we need another pair of hands." I was pretty sure that he was talking about me.

"Tch, do whatever you want. If I could deal with Haruka, I'm pretty sure that Chizu-nee over here won't be a problem, right?" As the brat said that, his head turned around to the back of the car and he was now facing me with a playful grin.

I was stunned for a second, this kid really was a little bit too 'developed' for his age. As I took a closer look at him, I noticed the evident resemblance in the eyes of these two, but unlike his grandfather, the kid didn't look intimidating, no, his grey eyes were cute and it made him look like a feline.

"Wait... What did you just call me?" I finally said, after examining the kid.

"You've heard it right." The brat said teasingly with a chuckle, "I called you Chizu-nee, 'cuz your name is Shizuka, right? It's a pet name because of the 'cheesy' thing you said."

I was about to scold and teach this kid some manners for acting so chummy with me, but unfortunately, I was interrupted by his grandfather, "Just like I told you Hachiman, you guys are going to get along just fine. Now I'll just have to explain your nee-chan over here what her job will be." And just like this, my shady summer job started.

A few days later, I was still alive and leaving aside my sarcastic and cynical opinions about what was happening to me, I found myself having fun even if I was surrounded by scary business men and their young brats.

My job in this so called 'summer camp' (for rich people) was fairly simple, all I had to do was babysit six spoiled brats and help preparing the food - of course there were also other teens who had been hired to help, thank god.

The fact that these kids' parents were all important people it meant that they were all raised to be proper and polite brats. However, there was only three big problems: Hachiman Hikigaya also known as the Devil's grandson and his loyal servants, simply known as the Demonic twins.

Perhaps I was exaggerating, but that kid was impossible to tame. I had never seen a seven years old brat with so much personality. He was too smart for his age, he had a fiery personality with a sense of confidence that makes him rebellious towards any type of 'authority' and in this case, I was his number one enemy.

The other brats were all well-behaved, considering their young age, but this Hachiman kid was a little deviant, a ball of unending energy that would usually lead others during the playtime and the only ones who could get through him was his grandfather, his younger and cute sister and occasionally Haruki, the male twin.

Today, the older Hikigaya asked for my help personally, giving me task to clean the small room that would serve as a meeting office to some guests that were to arrive in a couple of hours. I sighed as I started to think that I was slowly becoming a maid to this family.

It wasn't like I had many plans for my summer break and I would probably end up feeling lonely as usual, but at least I would be able to be a lazy slob if I wanted to.

But of course that I couldn't have what I wanted, this was the cruel life that I, the ultimate loner, chose. Thinking about a way to stop this forced situation, I realized that I didn't even know how much money my father owed this people. I would probably have to sell my body and soul to this family so that they could forget about the damned debt.

As I proceeded to complete my task of fixing this room, curiosity took control of my body and I found myself drawn to the numerous stacks of paper that were on of a wooden desk. If I remembered correctly, I was told specifically to avoid touching anything that was laying on top of this same desk, but since the old man made a huge deal out of this and the fact that I still had my doubts about how shady these businessmen were, I went through some of the old newspapers and paper sheets, reading the bold letters.

* * *

' **Kim Ji-woo, the female CEO of the Chiba Bank was arrested for fraud, bribery and corruption.** '

' **The head of the family Hikigaya was the first to expose Kim Ji-woo's crimes.** '

' **Chiba most influential families: Yukinoshita, Hayama and Hikigaya - they all have connections to the Chiba Bank. Are they involved in this scandal?** '

* * *

The rest of the paper sheets were filled with numbers and I presumed that they were the financial reports of the said bank, or something like that. I had finally understood why all these rich people had decide to use their summer vacation to spend some in these isolated mountains… This was like a strategic retreat of someone who had some bad stuff to hide - this all reunion thing made sense now and I probably should leave this stuff alone.

Suddenly, I hear the door behind me close loudly. Reacting purely on instinct and a _little_ bit of fear, I gasped loudly, letting some of the paper sheets fall on the ground - I was totally busted.

As I kept my back turned towards the person who entered the room, I waited to be greeted with the old and raspy voice of the older Hikigaya, but I was surprised when all that I heard was a joyful giggle that has been haunting me for the past few days.

"My family always says that curiosity killed the cat, you know?" The little imp said in mocking tone.

I sighed, finally turning around and facing the troublemaker, Hachiman, "I-I don't know you are talking about, brat. I w-was simply cleaning the room, as your grandfather told me to."

"Mhmm, we both know you're lying, Chizu-nee." He said with a sweet, but yet very scary grin. "You better _clean_ those papers." Despite this kid being ten years younger than me, I found myself doing as he said (commanded) without thinking twice.

This kid was truly intimidating, maybe it was because he was so smart and confident and perhaps it was because he was raised to be like these… _criminals_. I knew that I had messed up and now this kid could truly ruin my life - I might even need to beg for mercy.

Being lost in thought and too busy picking up the dozen of papers that were fallen on the red carpet beneath my feet, I didn't noticed that Hachiman was now standing next to me, handing some papers, "Tell me, nee-chan, what did you learn from those papers?"

Once again I felt myself shivering unconsciously, fearing the outcome of this conversation, "I told you bra-I mean, Hachiman, it isn't what it looks like. I would never look through your granddad's things without his permission." I was once again lying to this kid, hoping to be able to save my skin.

The brat sighed in annoyance and he gave me a serious look, with those intimidating catlike eyes and I knew that he understood that I was lying, "You're lying again… Tell me, are you afraid of me, Shizuka?"

"I'm afraid of what you might say to your grandfather, after this… I fear what your family might do to a sad teen like me." I finally decided to reveal my honest feelings.

"The old man always tells that if I can't win someone's respect, I should make them fear me instead." As he explained this, it felt like he was reciting a teaching that was implanted on his brain. "Sometimes he says some creepy stuff that I don't understand, but I think that this is one of my grandfather's tests."

"A t-test!? What do you mean?"

"The old man always says that one day I'll become the head of the family, the boss of our company and because of that I'll need people that I can trust besides me." He said vaguely and I assumed that maybe not even the kid knew what was going on.

"I think your grandpa knows that I don't trust you guys." I said, trying to make sense of this mess. "He seems like a person that would do anything to make his family happy and maybe he brought me here because he knew how lonely I was. I almost have no family, no friends..."

Hearing my twisted thoughts put into words, Hachiman took a sit on the red carpet, listening closely to what I had to say. For a moment, it felt like I was giving this kid some type of important lecture about the hardships of (my) life and his warm gaze was starting to make me feel like he was actually just a kind brat.

I sighed, before continuing my train of thoughts, "The other workers here were talking about the twins' past, they were similar to me, they had nothing and your grandfather took them as if they were family and gave them a purpose. I think he's trying to do the same with me and today he was trying to see if we could get along or not."

Hachiman let out a cute giggle and he said, "Ahh! Now I understand it, nee-chan. You are cute and really smart too." Flashing me a toothy grin, the kid actually managed to make me blush with the sudden praise. "So, if I tell my granddad what we were doing we fail the test, but if we become _friends_ and cover for each other it's great for both of us."

I nodded in agreement, the kid was truly smart, "Now that you say it like that, yes, it's probably as you say it. If you tell him what I did, my debt will probably double and I might even lose my head, but you if you cover for me, we both end up becoming liars and you gain nothing from this."

"I also want to know what those papers are. This is a trap from the old man, he's teasing me about this important meeting, but he won't tell me what's going on. He says that I'm too young for this and that makes me mad. I guess that we both got caught on his games." He finished his sentence with an angry pout, which made him look somewhat adorable.

Before I could even say anything, Hachiman got up and extended his right hand towards me, "Are we friends now, Chizu-nee?"

Surprised by his actions, I answered somewhat lamely, "I told not to call me that, brat! W-Well, I really don't have many friends and I don't really know how this whole friendship thing works, but we can be allies. Y-Yes, allies, because we share the same goal and enemy."

Hearing my awkward proposal, the little brat frowned and took my right hand by force, shaking it anyways, "Don't say sad stuff like that, nee-chan. You're the older person here you're supposed to give me the good examples. We're F-R-I-E-N-D-S!" And just like that, the toothy grin and his kind words slowly melted my frozen heart and when I came to my senses I was smiling like a riajuu idiot.

As I forcibly let go of his hand, the ball of energy decided to initiate conversation again, but this time, he had a sad look on his face and his voice was devoid of any confidence, "Tell me, Chizu-nee, my family, are they truly bad? I love everyone in my family, but everyone around me looks at us like we are some type of criminals and because of this I don't have a normal life. I know that I'm not a normal kid, I have no friends and I'm being raised like a fragile flower. I have a personal maid and a bodyguard a couple years younger than you, I have a home tutor and I rarely go to school."

As his gray eyes started to lose their usual sharpness, I saw some tears roll down his face and oddly enough, I acted on my maternal instincts, grabbing his trembling figure in my arms, I hugged the brat and patted his back softly.

"Shh, shh..." I whispered, wiping of his tears. "C'mon Hachiman, don't cry, you are strong boy, right?" Hearing my awkward attempt to make him feel better, the kid stopped sobbing, looking at me directly.

"Look, to be honest, I don't know your family well enough to give you the answer that you're looking for… From what I've seen I can tell you that your family really cares for you - you have your grandad that treats you as his own son, your sister that idolizes you and the twins that probably care more about you than they care about themselves."

Hearing my words, the brat wiped his eyes with his sleeve and let out a cute giggle, "You're right, thank you Chizu-nee - you're really kind."

"Hehe, you're the first boy to praise me twice in just a couple of minutes. If you keep being this sweet we might become really good friends." I said sheepishly, feeling genuinely happy for being able to make him smile again.

"Nee-chan, promise me something, okay?" I was about to tell him that my answer would depend on his request, but seeing his kitty-cat eyes, I simply nodded. "Will you help me find out more about my family?"

"Well, we are friends, aren't we? I'll always be there to help you, brat." I said, sighing in defeat. Just as I was about to say something more, the room's door opened again and this time it was the older Hikigaya staring at us with a stupid grin on his face.

* * *

"Oh god, this is really embarrassing." I said as I covered my face with my hands, feeling too ashamed to look my teacher directly in the eye.

Suddenly, I heard a loud noise as Hiratsuka banged her fist against the dinner table. "I-It's not embawassin!" She said, hiccuping through tears, her face turning really red for some reason.

"Hey stop crying, people will misunderstand. W-Wait, are you drunk?" Reaching this conclusion, I extended my arm, removing the bottle of wine that she was trying to grab clumsy.

"I'm not d-dlunk, not at all! Gimme' that!"

I sighed, hiding the bottle of wine under the table, far from her reach, "I think it's time for us to go home… I'm afraid that you'll fall on the ground unconsciously at any minute."

Resting her head on the table, Hiratsuka said softly, "I'll take you home, Hachi..." She wasn't able to finish her sentence, because she fell asleep and the story that she was telling me was also postponed for later.

She deserved a good rest after all this emotional stress. I decided to call Haruki and ask for his help.

* * *

[1] – A quote by Arnold Haultain.


End file.
